Tech Baseball Completes Weekend With Sunday Sweep
By Florida Tech // February 11, 2014
coach Berkemeier earns 200th career victory
BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA — The Florida Tech Panthers returned to action Sunday with a pair of games against Limestone and host Flagler.
The Panthers were first on the board, and then broke the game open late to earn a 9-1 victory over Limestone. The Panthers completed the Sunday sweep defeating Flagler 5-3 to close the weekend 2-1. The two wins also gave head coach Greg Berkemeier his 200th career victory.
The Panthers (5-1) offense was quick to get on the board in game one against Limestone. In the top of the first, junior Jorge Chavarria reached base on a double to left-center field.
Chavarria later scored when freshman Grant McKown reached base on a fielding error by Limestone. Later in the inning, McKown stole third and was able to score off another error by the Saints. The runs put the Panthers up 2-0 after the first inning.
Limestone (2-4) got back in the game with a run in the top of the third. Avi Ahlzadeh led off the inning with a single to right-center. Ahlzadeh was brought home later in the inning when KJ McAllister grounded out. The run cut the Panthers’ lead to 2-1.
The Panthers were quick to respond and tacked on a run in the bottom half of the third. Chavarria who reached base on a walk, later scored off a base hit by McKown giving the Panthers a 3-1 lead.
The Panthers extended their lead in the fifth inning. Sophomore Austin Allen led the inning off with a base hit to left field. Senior Jimmie Koch brought Allen home with a sacrifice fly to center field, which put the Panthers up 4-1. McKown added to the Panthers’ lead in the seventh when he scored Chavarria with a sac-fly to left-center.
The run put the Panthers up 5-1.
The eighth inning had the Panthers add four more insurance runs. Senior Ray Maggi singled up the middle, which scored junior Kevin Wortman.
With two runners on base, senior Andrew Bartlett brought both home with a double down the left field line. Bartlett was not on base long, as he was brought around to score off a base hit from Chavarria. The runs put the Panthers up 9-1, which would be the final score.
Junior Scotty Ward (2-0) went the full nine innings for the Panthers and picked up his second win of the season. Ward allowed just one run on three hits, walked one, and struck out four.
Jose Rondon (0-2) started for Limestone and was hit with the loss. Rondon pitched five innings, gave up four runs with only two being earned.
Game two of the day was the Panthers taking on the Saints of Flagler. Both teams went scoreless in the first three innings before the Saints (4-1) broke through in the fourth. Jake Taylor hit a solo home run to put the Saints up 1-0. The Saints added one more run in the inning and took a 2-0 lead.
The Panthers (6-1) charged back in the fifth and took the lead behind four runs in the inning. Allen, Chavarria, Bartlett, and freshman Erik Molina recorded the RBIs in the inning for the Panthers as they took a 4-2 lead.
The Saints cut the Panthers’ advantage to one with a run in the bottom of the fifth. Andrew Brodbeck hit the second home run of the day for the Saints and cut the Panthers’ lead to 4-3.
The Panthers added an insurance run in the eighth inning. McKown was brought home on a sac-fly from freshmanAndrew Calderone. The run put the Panthers up 5-3, which was the final score.
Junior Ashton Fronsoe pitched the ninth inning, and earned his second save of the season. Freshman Grant Willcoxon (1-0) pitched five innings, and earned his first as a Panther. Willcoxon gave up three runs on five hits and struck out for batters.
Kyle Bird (1-1) took the loss for Flagler. Bird pitched 5.2 innings, gave up four runs, walked one, and struck out five.
The Panthers will return to action Friday Feb. 14 when they travel to face Erskine. The Panthers will begin a three-game series with the Flying Fleet in Due West, S.C. with a Friday night game at 6 p.m. ET, followed by a Saturday doubleheader.
