MELBOURNE, Fla. – Four runs packed into the first two innings of the game allowed Florida Tech to pull away from the Kutztown University softball team in their matchup on Wednesday at Nancy Bottage Field, as the Panthers defeated the Golden Bears, 5-2.
 
Florida Tech opened the game with a run in the first inning, bolstered by an additional unearned run off of a KU error to cap the first inning with a 2-0 lead over the Maroon and Gold (10-7).
 
That early momentum gained in the first inning was carried into the second, as the Panthers scored two additional runs to double their lead to a 4-0. A wild pitch in the third inning was enough to notch one additional run to extend their advantage over the Golden Bears to five.
 
A home run from Gia Santigate (Staten Island, N.Y./St. Joseph by-the-Sea) in the top of the seventh inning was enough to drive home Gabby Tareila (Limerick, Pa./Spring-Ford) and put the Golden Bears on the boar, trailing 5-2. Unfortunately, it was not enough to overcome the lead set by Florida Tech.
 
Adrianna Dilal (Webster, N.Y./Webster Schroeder) started in the circle for the Golden Bears, allowing four hits and five runs with one strikeout in her two innings. Relief pitcher Bridget Newman (Ardmore, Pa./Haverford) wrapped up the game without allowing a run, while also racking up two strikeouts.
 
The Golden Bears return to action at the NTC Spring College Games tomorrow, Thursday, March 16, to face Wayne State and Philadelphia University. Game one against Wayne State begins at 1 p.m. in Clermont, Fla.