LAKELAND â€" Whatever Florida Southern softball coach Chris Bellotto said to the Moccasins in the middle of the fifth inning Monday night, it certainly worked. Down 5-0 at that point, the Mocs got a game-tying grand slam from Elli Howell just minutes later, and game-winning RBI single from Lindsey Powell in the bottom of the sixth to rally for a 6-5 win over Nova Southeastern in their 2009 conference opener.
Monday night’s game was the eighth consecutive meeting between the two teams that was decided by two runs or less, and the fifth during that time to be decided in one team’s final at-bat. Early on, however, it didn’t look like that would be the case. The Sharks (20-4, 3-1) had scored four runs in the top of the third and one in the fifth to take a 5-0 lead against a Florida Southern team that had not allowed a run in six straight games. That’s when Bellotto quickly gathered the Moccasins (12-1, 1-0) together in front of their dugout, shared a few words and sent them back on the field.
They responded with their greatest come-from-behind win since an 8-7 victory over West Georgia in February of 2006. In that one, the Mocs scored six runs in the bottom of the seventh to erase another five-run deficit.
This rally started when Sara Lovestrand opened the bottom of the fifth with a triple for her third hit of the game. Peggy Alex walked behind her and a ground ball by Powell moved both runners up another base. Angela Williams then reached on an error that also brought in Lovestrand, and Natalie Lang legged out an infield single to load the bases with one out. Howell stepped to the plate and crushed the first offering from Lexi Sarradet over the left centerfield fence for a grand slam, tying the game at five.
In the bottom of the sixth, Sarradet (10-4) worked around Lovestrand with one out, eventually walking her to put the winning run on base. Alex bunted her into scoring position and Powell delivered a base hit to center that put the Mocs ahead 6-5.
There was more drama to follow in the top of the seventh, as the Sharks got the tying run on base when Jessica Rockwell singled with one out. Dana Bergner followed with a sharply hit grounder into the hole at short where Lovestrand snagged it and fired over to Alex at second for the force out. Then it was Patty Rivero’s turn to test the Moccasin shortstop, but Lovestrand again fielded it. This time her throw forced Alex into a stretch, but the sophomore second baseman held the bag for the final out.
Lovestrand made two other big plays in the field as well. The All-American shortstop took a hit away from Lauren Lopez in the second inning with an over-the-shoulder grab running into short leftfield, then made a diving catch on a foul ball near the Florida Southern bullpen off the bat of Rockwell.
All of that, along with the clutch hitting of Howell and Powell, made a winner of freshman Christine Clark. Thrust into the first pressure situation of her career, Clark pitched two-and-a-third innings of scoreless relief for her first career win. She’s unscored upon in 16.1 innings this season. She bailed out starter Brittany Minton, who entered the game having allowed only three runs in 33.1 innings, but gave up five runs on 10 hits in 4.2 innings Monday. The comeback kept her undefeated with a 6-0 record, still the league’s only remaining undefeated starter.
The Sharks did most of their damage in the third, when they scored four runs on five hits. All four of those runs scored with two out. Rachel Talenfeld singled in Rivero, who had earlier doubled, April Donachie followed with an RBI double, and Lopez launched a two-run homer that made it 4-0.
Nova then used three singles in the fifth inning to push its lead to 5-0 before Clark entered the game for Florida Southern. She issued a walk to Bergner that loaded the bases but got Rivero on a pop-up to prevent further damage.
The teams conclude their three-game series with a doubleheader Tuesday night at 5:00, also at Barnett Field.
