DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Zach Howard's titanic three-run home run in the seventh inning propelled the Embry-Riddle baseball team to a 13-5 win over Florida Tech on Friday night to open the two team's three-game Sunshine State Conference Series. The Eagles (15-10, 4-3 SSC) trailed 5-4 before Howard's 34th career homer, but the senior's blast led to ERAU scoring the game's final nine runs, en route to handing the Panthers (14-10, 5-5 SSC) their third straight loss.

Howard's three-run bomb came with one out in the seventh off of FIT reliever Jake Lane after the Eagle left fielder started the night 0-for-3. Down 5-4, the Eagles got two singles from Kyle Marsh and Luis Olivier, the latter giving Olivier 150 career hits in his ERAU career, sandwiched around a fielder's choice from Kirk Sidwell to start the inning. Howard watched two balls go by before launching a ball to right field, turning the one-run deficit into a two-run cushion, an advantage the Eagles would not give up.

ERAU put the game away with a six-run eighth, starting with two off the bat of Olivier on a bases-loaded single. Two more Eagle runs scored on a throwing error before the final two runs touched home on a wild pitch and Kyle Guttveg sacrifice fly.

Florida Tech took a 1-0 lead in the first off of Eagle starter Daniel Agramont, but the home team answered with two runs in the second off of FIT starter Andrew Marzheuser thanks to a FIT error. Olivier doubled to start the inning before he scored on a throwing error from the Panther shortstop, and Howard, who reached via the error, came home on a Cody Forster ground out later in the frame.

Agramont worked out of a jam in the third, and the Eagles tacked on two more unearned runs against Marzheuser in the fourth when Cole Habig scored on a wild pitch after reaching via an error, and Guttveg brought in another thanks to a sacrifice fly, scoring Forster.

Jacob Buser tied the game in the fifth with a bases-clearing double down the right field line, making the game 4-4.

Samuel Brunnig took over for Agramont in the sixth, escaping the inning thanks to Olivier throwing a runner out at third trying to steal.

Buser again came through for the Panthers in the seventh when he doubled to right, bringing in the go-ahead run after a leadoff walk. J.C. Carrell was able to keep the Eagles within a run and then was the beneficiary of Howard's long ball later in the inning as he factored into the decision.

Carrell worked a scoreless eighth and Joey Gerber tossed a scoreless ninth for the Eagles.

Carrell (2-0) got the win in 2.0 innings of relief as he, along with Agramont, Brunnig and Gerber, combined for 11 strikeouts on the night.

Howard finished with three RBIs and three runs scored, while Olivier went 3-for-5 with two RBIs and three runs. Marsh had a perfect 4-for-4 game with a walk, Guttveg drove in two runs, and Jake Malone, in addition to making several nice defensive plays at the hot corner, finished 2-for-2 with two walks and a hit by pitch, reaching in all five plate appearances.

ERAU will look to win the series tomorrow with a single game slated for 3 p.m. at Sliwa Stadium.