MELBOURNE, Fla. – Palm Beach Atlantic baseball split a doubleheader with Florida Tech on Friday, as they dropped the opener and bounced back to win the finale. The Sailfish and Panthers finished the season splitting their four games with each other, as the Sailfish are now 23-24 on the year. The Sailfish will host Lynn University next weekend to close out the season.
Game One: Florida Tech 20, Palm Beach Atlantic 9
The Sailfish got an early lead in the first game of the day, as Evan Dougherty singled home two runs in the first inning.
After FIT got a run back in the bottom half, senior Ryan Johnson blasted his first career home run, a grand slam to left field, to give the Sailfish a 6-1 lead. The 'Fish added two more in the fourth as Danny Tufariello singled home Jake Summey and Sean Houck to give the 'Fish an 8-1 lead.
Florida Tech scored five runs in the fourth to pull within two runs, and tied the game at eight after runs in the sixth and seventh.
Tufariello put the 'Fish back on top in the top of the eighth, as he doubled to the wall in center field to score Houck with two outs.
The Panthers scored 12 runs in the bottom of the eighth to pull away from the Sailfish and win by the 20-9 score.
Tufariello finished 3-for-5 with three RBIs, as Houck and Johnson finished with two hits each in the game. Summey went 1-for-2 with two walks and scored three runs in the game.
Game Two: Palm Beach Atlantic 9, Florida Tech 3
The Sailfish scored first again in the series finale, as Kyle Simon doubled to the wall in left field to clear the bases in the first inning and give the 'Fish a 3-0 lead. After a Mike Santaromita infield single made it 4-0 in the second, Marcos Perez hit his first career homer, a two-run shot to left field to give the 'Fish a 6-0 lead.
The runs were all Sailfish starter Mitchell Carroll needed on the day, as the reigning SSC Pitcher of the Week took a no-hitter into the sixth inning. Carroll allowed two hits in the sixth, but escaped the jam to complete six strong innings, allowing just one unearned run.
Eddie Vicinanza plated two more runs for the 'Fish with an RBI single in the fifth, and Hakeem Rhodes made the score 9-1 with an RBI in the sixth.
Simon finished with a 3-for-5 game at the plate, as Vicinanza ad Perez added two-hit games as well.
