Closer Daniel Tillman retired five straight batters to snuff out a late Barry rally and preserve a 9-7 win for the top-ranked Moccasins Friday night at Henley Field.
The win put the Moccasins (32-6) alone in first place in the Sunshine State Conference with a 12-1 mark. Seventh-ranked Barry fell to 32-5, 11-2 in the SSC. FSC is unbeaten in 22 games at Henley Field this season.
With the Moccasins on top 9-7, Tillman came on in the eighth with one out and a runner at second. He struck out Yan Gomes, the SSC home run and RBI leader, and Yas Gutierrez to end the eighth, then retired the Buccaneers in order in the ninth to earn his ninth save of the season.
Max Russell worked into the seventh inning and picked up his seventh win without a loss. He gave up four runs on six hits, struck out six and walked four.
The Moccasins did their damage early, scoring eight runs in the first four innings off Barry starter Bobby Hernandez, who was last season's SSC Pitcher of the Year. Nick Stanley doubled home Robbie Shields in the first. Trae Gore had a two-run single and Wade Kirkland hit a two-run homer in the second. Zach Maggard singled in a run in the third. An RBI-triple by Stanley and a run-scoring single by Colin Kish added two more runs in the fourth. Maggard produced the final Moccasin run on a solo homer, his third hit of the game, in the seventh. Will Cherry singled in the third to extend his current hitting streak to 14 straight games.
FSC and Barry play a doubleheader Friday at 1 p.m. at Henley Field.
