Valdosta, Georgia – Panther baseball took the field this evening for their first road game of 2026. Tech traveled north of the border to take on Valdosta State for game one of a three-game set against the Blazers.
NON-CONFERENCE – GAME FOUR
Final: Florida Tech Panthers 6, Valdosta State Blazers 1
Records: Florida Tech (4-0)
| Valdosta State (1-4)
Location: Billy Grant Field
| Valdosta, Georgia
GAME NOTES:
- Jeff Davis continued his hot start to the season by opening the contest with a base hit up the middle. While both Anthony Fimiano and Gabe Roque both reached base with free passes to load the bases, the Panthers were unable to strike in the top of the first.
- Jacob Pino began his second start of the year by sitting down the first three batters he faced for a clean 1-2-3 first inning.
- Valdosta State got the board first in the bottom of the second with back-to-back singles, but Pino limited the damage by turning a 1-6-3 double play.
- Tech responded right away in the top of the third. Williams Rollings led off the inning with a single to left field before scoring three batters later when Gabe Roque muscled a single right over the Blazer second baseman.
- After a shutdown inning from Pino, the Panthers took their first lead of the game in the fourth. Cole Patrick earned a leadoff base hit and scored two pitches off a Tyler McClanahan double.
- The Panther lead grew to 3-1 after a hard hit ball by Jeff Davis got passed the opposing shortstop to score McClanahan.
- Pino kept the lead intact with two big strikeouts despite allowing two Blazers to reach second and third with one out.
- The reigning SSC and NBCWA Pitcher of the Week continued to roll as he struck out the side in the fifth, pushing Pino's strikeout total to eight through the first five innings.
- Back-to-back two-out doubles from William Rollings and Jeff Davis added two more Panther runs as Tech took a 5-1 lead into the bottom of the sixth.
- Pino's day came to an end after six dominant innings of work, finishing with another 1-2-3 inning, picking up his ninth strikeout of the game.
- The Panthers added another insurance run in the top of the ninth, but it did not matter as Blake Holshouser took the ball and tossed three shutout innings to secure the win.
FINAL: Florida Tech Panthers 6, Valdosta State Blazers 1
NOTABLE PANTHERS:
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE:
- Tech defense records zero errors for the first time this season.
- With tonight's win, Head Coach Jeff Tam is one win away from 100 career wins.
- Panthers improve to 5-6 against Valdosta State since 2016.
- Freshman Marcello Cortale earned the first hit of his collegiate career with a single in the bottom of the seventh.
UP NEXT: Florida Tech will stay in Georgia for two more games. The Panthers and Blazers will meet at 4:00 PM tomorrow, followed by the final game of the series on Saturday at 1:00 PM.
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