Box score

MELBOURNE, Fla. − Gus Fernandez belted a two-run home run in the bottom of the fifth inning to break up a 1-all tie and lead No. 20 (Collegiate Baseball Division II Top 30) past Flagler College 3-2 in a non-conference baseball game Tuesday afternoon at Andy Seminick-Les Hall Field.

Florida Tech won its seventh game in a row and improved to 11-1 on the season while Flagler fell to 5-6.

Fernandez got the Panthers on the board with an RBI-double in the first. The Saints were able to knot the game at 1-1 as Will Percy (Colorado Springs, Colo./St. Mary's HS) singled home Jarrod Simmons (Jacksonville, Fla./Central Florida CC).

Tony Moos led off the fifth, for Florida Tech, with an infield single, and then scored on Fernandez' home run.

Simmons hit an RBI single in the seventh for Flagler, but Saints couldn't draw any closer.

Ryan McChesney (1-0) went six innings, allowed four hits, an unearned run and struck out five. Brandon Lindquist closed the last two innings to earn his fourth save of the season.

Fernandez went 2-for-3 with a run scored and drove in all three runs.

Zach Gray (Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla./Bryan College) (0-1) tossed two and two-thirds innings in relief and took the loss. He allowed two hits and two runs. Josh Kempa (Baltimore, Md./Dundalk CC) started for the Saints and went two and one-third innings, allowed one hit, one run and struck out two.

Zach Bove (Winter Haven, Fla./Central Florida CC) went 2-for-4 for the Saints. Travis Coverston (Jacksonville, Fla./Stanton College Prep) hit a double.

Flagler opens up Peach Belt Conference play this Saturday (Feb. 27) with a doubleheader against Augusta State University at 1 p.m. at Flagler Stadium.


Florida Tech 3, Flagler 2 (02/23/10 at Melbourne, FL)
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Flagler............. 001 000 100 - 2 7 1 (5-6)
Florida Tech........ 100 020 00X - 3 3 1 (11-1)
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Battery: Flagler - Josh Kempa; Zach Gray(3); Heath Storey(6); Tyler McKendree(8) and Payne Maddox. Florida Tech - Ryan McChesney; Andrew Buonanni(7); Brandon Lindquist(8) and Brian Flynn.
Win-Ryan McChesney(1-0) Save-Brandon Lindquist(4) Loss-Zach Gray(0-1) T-2:20 A-47
2B FCB – Travis Coverston.
2B FTB – Gus Fernandez.
HR FTB - Gus Fernandez.
Weather: Overcast and breezy