BOCA RATON, FLA. – The Panthers were back on the field this afternoon for a doubleheader to wrap up their series against Lynn University.
SSC PLAY – DOUBLEHEADER GAME ONE
Final: Florida Tech Panthers 8, Lynn Fighting Knights 3
Records: Florida Tech (14-11, 5-6 SSC)
| Lynn (11-14, 2-6 SSC)
Location: Lynn Baseball Stadium
| Boca Raton, Florida
GAME NOTES:
- The first inning was full of action, though neither team scored. In the top half, the Panthers loaded the bases but were unable to convert on the opportunity. Reilly Kuhar got the start for Tech and in the bottom half, he struck out the second batter he faced. Marshall Burke made a diving stop to prevent a hit, and Brian Perez threw out a runner trying to steal second.
- Lynn got on the board in the bottom of the second after loading the bases with nobody out. Kuhar induced the fourth double play for the Tech defense this weekend to get out of the jam, but the fighting Knights still took a 3-0 lead.
- The Panthers responded with a run of their own in the top of the third. Adrian Dominguez singled and worked his way to third base with two outs. Gabe Roque produced a clutch two-out hit to score Dominguez and cut the lead to 3-1.
- After three straight shutdown innings from Kuhar, the Tech bats went back to work in the top of the sixth. Marshall Burke smoked a lead off double to the left-center wall and came around to score on a Lynn Throwing error.
- Trailing by a run, Tech turned to Noah Steckley in the bottom of the sixth, who tossed a perfect 1-2-3 inning.
- In the top of the seventh, Gabe Roque and Brian Perez both earned one-out hits to put runners on the corners. Marcello Cortale tied the game at 3-3 with a sacrifice fly to score Perez.
- Blake Holshouser entered in relief in the bottom half of the inning and left a Fighting Knight stranded at third to keep the contest tied.
- Lead off walks from Joseph Phan and William Rollings sparked an eighth-inning rally for Tech. Jeff Davis laid down a bunt that turned into a three-run inside-the-park home run after Lynn threw the ball down the right field line. Brian Perez kept the inning going with a single to right and a batter later scored from first base off a Marcello Cortale double off the center field wall.
- A four-run inning from the Panthers put them up 7-4 heading into the final two defensive frames. Blake Holshouser tossed a 1-2-3 inning in the eighth, and Tech was three outs away from a game-one win.
- Joseph Phan added an insurance run by smashing his first home run of the season in the top of the ninth to take an 8-3 lead.
- Holshouser slammed the door in the ninth to win the game and tie the series at 1-1.
FINAL: Florida Tech Panthers 8, Lynn 3
NOTABLE PANTHERS:
- Reilly Kuhar – 5.0 IP, 4 H, 2 ER
- Blake Holshouser – WIN – 3.0 IP, 5 Ks, 0 BB, 0 H, 0 ER
- Joseph Phan – 2-4, Home Run, 2 Runs, RBI, Walk
- Marcello Cortale – 2-3, 2 RBI, Double
- Marshall Burke – 2-5, Double, Run
SSC PLAY – DOUBLEHEADER GAME TWO
Final: Florida Tech Panthers 4, Lynn Fighting Knights 5
Records: Florida Tech (14-12, 5-7 SSC)
| Lynn (12-14, 3-6 SSC)
Location: Lynn Baseball Stadium
| Boca Raton, Florida
GAME NOTES:
- The series finale did not start in the Panthers favor. In the bottom of the first, Lynn began the inning with four straight hits, including back-to-back home runs, to take a 4-0 lead.
- Tech was unable to respond, but Marshall Burke and William Rollings did earn hits in the first two innings.
- Lynn added another run in the bottom of the third, growing their advantage to five.
- After a scoreless fourth from both sides, Tech got a run back in the top of the fifth. Joseph Phan singled to center field, and after back-to-back errors from the Lynn defense, ended up at third base with one out. Adrian Domniguez did a job by producing a ground ball to the right side, allowing Phan to score from third.
- In his second inning of work, Nickolas Jukovich sat down three Fighting Knights in a row for a shutdown inning and kept the deficit at four.
- Marcello Cortale led off the top of the sixth with a double in the gap and scored a batter later when Zade Stark singled up the middle. Joseph Phan continued to stay hot at the plate, doubling down the left field line to score Stark from first and cut the Lynn lead down to 5-3. The next batter, William Rollings, scored Phan from second with an RBI single to pull the Panthers within one run.
- Brady Guthrie entered in the bottom of the sixth for Tech and tossed a scoreless frame with two punch outs.
- While Tech was unable to tie the game, Guthrie worked out of a bases-loaded jam to keep the score 5-4 Lynn heading into the eighth inning.
- Unfortunately for Tech, they were unable to push across the tying run, and Lynn held on to take the rubber match and win the series 2-1.
FINAL: Florida Tech Panthers 4, Lynn 5
NOTABLE PANTHERS:
- Nicholas Jukovich, Brady Guthrie, Cristian Montes and Jake Hill combine for 6.0 IP, 9 Ks and 0 ER.
- Joseph Phan – 2-3, Double, 2 Runs, RBI
- Zade Stark – 1-1, Double, RBI, Run, Walk
- William Rollings – 2-4, RBI
UP NEXT: The Panthers will stay on the road for one more game before returning home next weekend. Tech will travel to face Flagler College on Tuesday, March 24
th at 6:00 PM. The Panthers will then host Saint Leo University in a three-game SSC series starting on Friday, March 27
th at 5:00 PM.
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