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TAMPA â€" Given a second chance, then a third chance to win the conference title, Florida Southern took it. Given a second chance to beat the University of Tampa, Christine Clark did that too. And given another chance to put her name in the record book again, Sara Lovestrand did so in a big way. The Moccasins used that performance to bounce back from a 2-1 loss in the opener and beat Tampa 6-0 in game two of their season-ending doubleheader.
The win by the Moccasins (42-13, 18-6) gives them at least a share of the Sunshine State Conference title. As far as the NCAA is concerned though, the Mocs are the champions. While Rollins (43-8, 15-6) could still finish tied with Florida Southern at the top of the standings if it sweeps Barry, the Moccasins win the tie-breaker based on their earlier series victory over the Tars. That gives them the league’s automatic bid to the South Region Tournament, to be played May 8-10.
Clark pitched her second shutout of the season, but by the time she took the ball, the Mocs had already given her a 2-0 lead. It started when Lovestrand lined a triple to deep leftfield, her 86th hit of the season. That broke the previous school record of 85, which had been set by Shelly Davis in 1996. It was also her league-leading ninth triple of the season, leaving her two shy of that record as well. The Mocs didn’t waste the chance either. When Peggy Alex hit a pop-up into short leftfield, shortstop Michele Horan tried to make a basket catch with her back to the infield but dropped the ball. Lovestrand scored and the Mocs were up 1-0.
As Lovestrand scored, Alex took second on the throw to the plate, giving the Mocs another opportunity. Powell bunted her over to third and Angela Williams put down another perfect bunt to score Alex on the squeeze play.
In the top of the third, Lovestrand helped Florida Southern score again with her second hit of the game, this time coming in when Alex singled sharply down the third base line. She wasn’t finished either. After singles by Natalie Lang, Elli Howell and Dani Blake had given the Mocs another run in the fourth inning, Lovestrand drilled a two-run double that made the score 6-0. It was her 17th double of the season, equaling the third most in school history.
It would have been a tough accomplishment to hit for the cycle, but Lovestrand had a chance to become the first Moccasin to ever do that when she came to bat in the seventh inning. Instead, she was hit by a pitch, setting a record even then as she was plunked for the 12th time this year.
Oh, and Lovestrand provided the defensive highlight of the game too. With one out in the bottom of the fourth, the Moccasin shortstop made a diving stop on a hard hit grounder by Sam Becker, then threw from her knees deep in the hole to nip Becker at first base.
While Florida Southern was scoring, Clark was keeping Tampa (27-12, 14-8) off the scoreboard. The freshman gave up just three singles, walked two and pitched a complete game without a strikeout. It gave her a 14-3 overall record and a 9-0 mark in conference play. Both of her shutouts have come in the SSC too, including one against Barry in early April. Saturday’s win also came after the Spartans had knocked her out of Friday night’s game, though Clark earned a no-decision in that one.
Tampa ace Deanna Henriott suffered the loss while giving up five earned runs on nine hits. She struck out six and walked no one, falling to 18-9.
In game one, the Moccasins had eight hits in five innings against Heather VanLandingham, but scored just one run while stranding seven runners. When Henriott entered the game for Tampa to start the top of the sixth, the Mocs went down in order in each of the final two innings.
Henriott earned the victory when the Spartans broke a 1-1 tie in the bottom of the sixth. Jessica Tejas started things with a leadoff walk and pinch-runner Cassie Barnes put herself in scoring position by stealing second. FSC pitcher Brittany Minton kept her there as she got Jessica Keefe to ground out to short and struck out #9 hitter Susan Jallo. However, Ashley Arcuri singled into centerfield to knock in Barnes with the go-ahead run.
Early in the game, the Moccasins had no problems putting runners on base, only getting them home. They stranded two in the first and two more in the second, an inning in which they had three hits. Elli Howell had started the second with a base hit up the middle and Dani Blake kept things going with a two-out infield single that put runners at first and second. Sara Lovestrand then singled to centerfield and the Mocs tried to score Howell, but Kallan Casey threw a strike to the plate for the final out of the inning.
Despite Florida Southern’s early scoring chances, it was Tampa which also scored the first run of the game. It came in the bottom of the second after Minton hit the first batter of the inning, Becky Vyzas. A one-out single by Rachel Browning moved her to second before Tejas put down a bunt that barely stayed fair in front of the right-handed batter’s box. Catcher Heather Raulerson fielded it, but her throw to third was high and down the line, allowing Vyzas to cross the plate for a 1-0 lead.
The Moccasins finally broke through in the top of the fifth, taking advantage of a leadoff single and stolen base by Lovestrand. Lindsey Powell, who went three-for-three in the game, then dropped a single into short leftfield as Lovestrand stumbled around third. The Spartans threw her out at the plate, but the run counted when UT was called for interference. Powell ended up at second on the play and moved to third on a wild pitch but was unable to move any further. That turned out to be the Mocs’ final base runner of the game.
Henriott picked up the win, striking out the side in the sixth inning before getting two ground balls and a fly ball out in the seventh.
Minton took the loss, falling to 16-8, but gave up just one earned run in the game. The Spartans had five hits off her while Minton struck out two and walked three, one of them intentional. That came in the bottom of the fifth inning with the game tied at one and it loaded the bases with one out. Minton made it work though when Sam Becker grounded into a force out at the plate, and Browning grounded into a force out at second.
Florida Southern will be off for final exams this week and now awaits word from the NCAA as to its destination in the South Region Tournament. The Moccasins are currently ranked #3 in the regional poll, with eight teams selected. The official announcement comes on Sunday night, May 3, but host sites will be announced on Wednesday, along with the final regular season region rankings.
