BOCA RATON â€" After beating Florida Southern with four hits on Friday, Lynn leftfielder Brittany Gross did it with her glove on Saturday â€" and she got plenty of help from centerfielder Katrina Lavadan. But while that combination was enough for a 2-1, walk-off win for the Knights in game one, it was no match for Christine Clark in game two, as Florida Southern’s sophomore pitcher held Lynn to only four hits in a 2-0 win by the Moccasins.
In the opener of Saturday’s doubleheader, the Moccasins (21-19, 7-11) held a 1-0 lead before the Knights scored once in the sixth and once in the seventh for a second straight 2-1 win. Callie Darlin limited the Mocs to four hits and drove in the tying run before Lavadan’s bases-loaded single won it in the bottom of the seventh; but it was Gross and Lavadan’s defense in the outfield that put Darlin and the Knights in position for the win.
It started in the third inning when the Mocs got a leadoff walk from Peggy Alex, who stole second and moved to third on a sacrifice. Alex was forced to hold position on a hard-hit grounder by Bethany Boomer, but would have easily scored on a hit by Erin Foley. Except Foley’s hit was taken away by Gross, who made a diving catch down the leftfield line for the final out of the inning.
Florida Southern did score in inning number four when Lindsey Powell reached on an error, was bunted to second by Clark, took third on a ground ball by Elli Howell, and came home on a two-out infield single by Dani Blake. Yet once again, Gross kept them from scoring more with a diving catch against Heather Raulerson that ended the fourth.
Lynn (20-22, 3-9) nearly got on the board too in its half of the fourth inning, but Florida Southern’s defense kept the Knights from scoring even after they had runners at second and third with none out. Lavadan had led off the inning with a double and moved to third on a bunt by Kathleen Smith, who also reached base when the ball was mishandled for an error. Smith quickly stole second, putting the Mocs in an even worse position.
Foley got the Mocs some breathing room by spearing a ground ball hit to third, holding Lavadan on the bag, and throwing across the diamond for the first out. Then with Darlin at the plate, Raulerson kept a pitch from getting to the backstop, again keeping Lavadan frozen at third. Darlin eventually hit a fly ball into short right that was too shallow to score a run and Rachael Larkins popped up to end the inning with the Knights still scoreless.
While the Knights left the bases loaded in the fourth, they capitalized on their next two scoring chances, pushing across single runs in the sixth and seventh innings for the win. Darlin tied the game at one with an RBI double after Nikki Pallister had walked with two out in the bottom of the sixth. Then it was Lavadan’s turn to steal the game, first in the field, then at the plate.
In the top of the seventh, the Mocs had Alex at first after a one-out single and Dezirae Parsons batting. Parsons hit what looked to be a single into the gap in right center, but Lavadan came streaking across from her centerfield position and took it away with a catch just off the top of the grass. Alex would steal second for the second time in the game, but was left there with the game still tied at one.
Larkins then led off the bottom of the seventh with a bloop single down the leftfield line and was bunted to second by Jordan Angel. After a walk and a fielder’s choice loaded the bases, Lavadan bounced a single up the middle that brought in Larkins with the winning run, Lavadan’s second hit of the game.
In game two, neither Gross nor Lavadan reached base, but the same could be said for several players in the Lynn lineup. Florida Southern pitcher Christine Clark was in total control, holding the Knights to four hits, walking no one and striking out five. Two of those hits were infield singles, and one was a flare by Jordan Angel that fell in just between Parsons and Blake in short left.
Clark still had to pitch out of a 7th-inning jam though to earn her second complete game shutout of the season. After getting the first two hitters without issue, Clark gave up an infield single to Elizabeth Hawkins before back-to-back errors loaded the bases. Clark snuffed out the threat, however, by striking out Kennedy Lewis on three pitches. It evened her record at 8-8.
The Moccasins got their two runs in the first two innings, both helped out by Boomer. The Moccasin leadoff batter started the game with a single, and though a pair of force outs eventually put someone different on base, that hit still resulted in a run when Howell doubled to deep left.
In the second inning, the Mocs got back-to-back hits from Brittaney Alderman and Raulerson to open the inning, with Alderman later scoring on a ground out by Boomer.
Even though Gross wasn’t a factor at the plate in game two, she still made her presence felt in the field â€" again. For the second time in the doubleheader, the junior leftfielder took a hit away from Foley with a spectacular catch to end the second inning with Raulerson standing at third. She saved her best for last though when she made a leaping, over-the-fence catch to deny Raulerson a home run in the fourth.
Gross was the defensive star of the series, but the Mocs had their moments too. Powell made a diving catch of her own in game two, Foley was challenged several times at third base and never faltered, and Raulerson got a measure of revenge with quick reflexes that prevented Gross from getting a hit in game two.
Florida Southern begins its next series on Tuesday night with a single game at Saint Leo beginning at 7:00 p.m.
