MELBOURNE â€" It took Florida Tech 15 innings to score the only run of the game in Friday’s series opening win over Florida Southern, but on Saturday, Florida Tech got that run in the very first inning. Two innings later, they got two more runs and needed nothing more, as poor weather forced an early end to the doubleheader and helped the Panthers earn a 3-1, rain-shortened victory over the Moccasins.
The game began under a light drizzle and with temperatures barely hitting 50 degrees. Those conditions never improved and by the fifth inning, the rain had picked up considerably. With Florida Tech batting in the bottom of the fifth and holding a 3-1 lead, the umpires halted the game, and approximately half an hour later, the decision was made not to resume. According to Sunshine State Conference rules, any conference game halted by weather after five innings (or four-and-a-half if the home team is ahead), is considered a completed game.
The second game of the doubleheader was re-scheduled for Sunday at noon.
Both teams started Saturday with a leadoff walk, but the Panthers (9-5, 2-0) were able to get theirs home for the first run of the game and force the Moccasins (4-4, 0-2) to play from behind the rest of the day. Sarah Oram was the Florida Tech base runner, and was able to score from second on a two-out single by Kara Dickinson. The softly hit ball was just beyond the out-stretched glove of shortstop Dezirae Parsons, and Oram was able to slide in ahead of the tag at home plate.
In the bottom of the third, Tyler Miller got the Panthers going with a leadoff double and took third when Oram reached on an error. Two batters later, Peggy Alex fielded a ground ball hit by Brianna Barth and came home with the throw, but the Panthers again scored on a close play when Miller was somehow able to elude the tag by Heather Raulerson. Dickinson later knocked in Oram with another ground ball, and the Panthers had a 3-0 lead.
Barth not only drove in one of Florida Tech’s three runs, she was also the Panther pitcher and held Florida Southern without a hit until Ashley Hunt’s two-out single in the top of the fifth. The Mocs quickly turned it into a run when Bethany Boomer doubled to left center, and Alex kept the inning going with a walk. Barth ended the threat when she got Lindsey Powell on a ground ball to short, with Brooke Fisher’s throw nipping her at the first base bag.
A hit batter and an error gave Florida Tech two runners with two out in the bottom of the fifth, but the game was stopped at that point and eventually called shortly before 2:00.
Barth earned the win for the second day in a row, improving to 6-2 on the season. She allowed only two hits, struck out two and walked three.
Christine Clark fell to 2-2 for Florida Southern, though she gave up only one earned run in four-and-two-thirds innings. Clark allowed three hits, struck out four and walked one.
Senior first baseman Elli Howell also saw her school-record 21-game hitting streak come to an end, though it was hardly her fault. She had just one at-bat, hitting a line drive back to Barth in the first inning before she walked in the fourth.
