In a match-up of nationally-ranked Polk County rivals, the top-ranked Moccasins had their 12-game winning streak halted with a 9-5 loss to Warner, the nation's 13th-ranked NAIA team, Tuesday at Lake Wales.
Warner improved to 28-12 on the season, while the Moccasins slipped to 31-6. It was only the third victory for the Royals over the Moccasins in 38 meetings. Warner's last win over FSC was a 6-3 decision in 2003.
The Moccasins scored first on an RBI-double by Andrew Grutka in the top of the second, but Warner answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning and never trailed the rest of the game.
Down 5-1, the Moccasins narrowed the margin to 5-3 in the fifth on Colin Kaline's two-run single, but never could get any closer. They had plenty of chances, however, as they out-hit the Royals 15-10. They had at least one base-runner in every inning, left the bases loaded four times and stranded a total of 18 runners in the game. Grutka, Robbie Shields and Trae Gore each had three of the Moccasins' hits.
The Moccasins turned a triple play in the bottom of the first inning. After Jed Yancey walked to start the inning and Cory Johnson doubled him to third, Dan Smith lined out to Nick Stanley at first and the Moccasins were able to retire Johnson and Yancey before they could return to their respective bases. It was the Moccasins' first triple play since Mar. 27, 1984, when they turned one against Tampa.
Matt Zoltak, the Moccasin starter, took the loss, dropping his record to 1-3. Branden Weber, the last of six Moccasin pitchers, tossed two scoreless innings in just his second appearance of the season.
The Moccasins will turn their attention back to the Sunshine State Conference race, which has a showdown for first place between the Moccasins and Barry starting Thursday at 7 p.m. at Henley Field. Both teams are 11-1 in SSC games. After Thursday's single game, the two teams will play a doubleheader Friday at 1 p.m.
