Panthers Grab Baseball Road Win Over Flagler
By Space Coast Daily // April 10, 2013
Pitching Leads Florida Tech To Victory
ST. AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA – Florida Tech received a strong outing from starting pitcher Michael Knott, and collected enough runs to outlast a furious comeback by Flagler College in an 8-5 baseball road victory on Tuesday night at Drysdale Stadium.
The Panthers collected two runs in the opening innings to jump out to a quick lead. A sacrifice fly by freshman Austin Allen plated sophomore David Johannessen in the opening frame. Johannessen followed with an RBI of his own in the second as he walked with the bases loaded to give FIT the two-run advantage.
After the Saints cut the deficit in half in the fourth inning, the Crimson and Gray added a pair in the fifth to extend the lead. With the bases loaded and two outs, Allen scampered home on a passed ball before senior Alex Alfonso singled home Tony Becerra for the final run of the inning.
FIT junior Scott Carcaise recorded his team-leading 30th RBI in the sixth inning, singling home sophomore Kevin Wortman. The Panthers piled on with three runs in the seventh off an RBI double by Alfonso and a two-RBI single by Wortman.
Flagler tacked on a run in the eighth before mounting a rally in the ninth. With two runs across and the bases loaded with one out, closer JamesMannara came on to stop the bleeding. The senior induced a ground ball and followed with a strikeout for his eighth save of the season. That leaves him two away from a tie for the single-season Florida Tech record, set in 2010 by Brandon Lindquist.
The freshman Knott provided a strong five innings on the mound, allowing just one run. The right-hander scattered five hits and walked only one. Sophomore Jerrod Leinhauser relieved the starter in two innings of shutout baseball in the sixth and seventh.
Alfonso paced Florida Tech offensively with a 4-for-5 night and a pair of RBIs. The senior also scored twice. Wortman added a hit, a run and two RBIs. Five different Panthers knocked in a run during the game.
The Panthers are now set for a three-game, home Sunshine State Conference series with Rollins. The two squads have yet to meet on the season.
The first game at Andy Seminick-Les Hall Field is scheduled for Friday at 6 p.m. The series will conclude with a doubleheader Saturday beginning at 1 p.m.
