Florida Tech Ace Pitcher Sammy Murphy Throws 9 Strikeouts in 3-1 Win Over Florida Southern
By Space Coast Daily // February 26, 2026
BREVARD COUNTY • MELBOURNE, FLORIDA – The Florida Tech Panthers traded offensive fireworks for dominant pitching on Thursday, riding the strong return of ace Sammy Murphy to a 3-1 victory over Florida Southern.
After erupting for 26 runs against Palm Beach Atlantic last weekend, the Panthers proved they can win in a different fashion — leaning on elite pitching, timely hitting, and defensive resilience to secure the Sunshine State Conference win.
Murphy wasted no time reestablishing control in the circle, opening the game with a swinging strikeout followed by back-to-back foul popouts to quickly retire the side.
The Panthers’ ace set the tone early and never let Florida Southern find consistent rhythm at the plate.
Offensively, Florida Tech threatened in the bottom of the first when Chloe Fariello singled and stole second base, but the Panthers were unable to bring her home.
Murphy continued her dominance in the second inning, striking out the leadoff hitter and inducing two more popups. In the bottom half, Malaya Nelson nearly provided an early breakthrough, ripping a double down the right-field line that narrowly missed clearing the fence, though she was left stranded.
The Panthers finally broke through in the third inning. Fariello collected her second hit of the game to spark the rally before Emma Chisholm delivered a clutch two-run single, giving Tech a 2-0 advantage.
Florida Southern attempted to respond in the fourth after reaching base twice on Panther errors, but Murphy shut down the threat in emphatic fashion, striking out all three hitters she faced to escape the inning unscathed.
The Mocs trimmed the deficit to 2-1 in the fifth with consecutive singles to left field. Florida Tech looked poised to answer immediately as Fariello and Miranda Schwartz reached base later in the inning, but aggressive baserunning resulted in two outs on the bases, ending the opportunity.
Tech added an important insurance run in the sixth when Haley Rider led off with a double and Nelson followed with a single, restoring a two-run cushion.
From there, Murphy finished what she started. The Panthers’ ace closed the seventh inning with two popouts and a strikeout, sealing the 3-1 victory while tying her career-high with nine strikeouts for the second time this season.
Murphy’s performance highlighted a complete effort for Florida Tech, showcasing the Panthers’ ability to win tight conference matchups behind pitching and execution.
Florida Tech returns to action Friday with a doubleheader rematch against Florida Southern beginning at 1 p.m. ET.
