ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Florida Tech's Tony Moos hit a solo homerun to leadoff the top of the 12th inning to push the Panthers (27-17, 8-8 SSC) past the Eckerd Tritons (20-24, 3-13 SSC) on Friday night at the Turley Athletic Complex.
The Panthers opened the scoring in the top of the second as Ryan McChesney hit an opposite field, two-run homerun before Tyler Wright capped the Panther second with an RBI bloop single, giving Tech an early 3-0 lead.
Eckerd closed the gap to 3-2 in the bottom of the fourth as
Matt Heller scored on a throwing error before an RBI single by
Oliver Killoren.
In the top of the seventh, Florida Tech worked the bases loaded but Eckerd starter
Philip Weylie wiggled his way out of the jam, getting Kevin Villa to line out to right to end the threat.
Eckerd would rally to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth as
Mike Sinicola plated
Wess Hollins with a run-scoring single to send the game into extra innings tied at three.
With two out and a runner on third in the bottom of the tenth, Eckerd's
Dan Branca came within just a couple of feet of ending the game on what would have been the Tritons' second consecutive walk-off homerun at home. Instead, Branca's deep drive sailed just left of the leftfield foul pole.
The game remained tied until the top of the 12th inning when Moos hit a solo homer on a ball very similar to Branca's long foul to give the Panthers a 4-3 lead.
Unfortunately, the Tritons could not mount another rally as Tech reliever Tyler Carman retired the Tritons in order to end the game at 4-3.
Eckerd will return to action on Saturday as it hosts Florida Tech once again in SSC doubleheader action beginning at 1pm.
