MELBOURNE, Fla. – The Barton baseball team (1-4) lost a close contest to open a four-game series Friday night to Florida Tech (3-1), 3-2, Friday night at Andy Seminick-Les Hall Field.
The Panthers' Roman Samson (Tampa, Fla.) ended the game with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning with a walk-off home run.
Florida Tech was able to rally from a 2-1 deficit to take the game. The Panthers' Anthony Fimiano (Plantation, Fla.) tied the contest at two with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the seventh inning before Samson's heroics in the ninth.
Barton sophomore outfielder
Gavin Gilmore (Eastampton, N.J.) opened the scoring with an RBI in the first frame while graduate student
Mason Staz (Olin, N.C.) also drove in a run with a sacrifice fly in the third but the Bulldogs were held off the scoreboard the rest of the way.
Florida Tech's Ridge Skarbek (Indialantic, Fla.) (2-0) pitched two scoreless innings in relief while striking out two batters for the win while Barton senior
Jacob Cabaniss (Cary, N.C.) (0-1) was tagged with the loss.
The two teams continue their four-game series with a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 2:00 p.m.
