LAKE WALES â€" As well as Christine Clark pitched and hit in game one, freshman Liana Derringer managed to upstage her in game two. In a 9-1 win in the opener, Clark gave up just three hits, and had three hits herself, while Derringer followed with a four-hit shutout, as Florida Southern completed the sweep with a 2-0 win over Warner.
Clark evened her record at 4-4 by giving up just three hits in six innings, striking out three and walking two. The Royals (10-8) reached her for an unearned run in the bottom of the sixth, using an infield single, an error and a walk to load the bases, and a ground out by Niki Hopps to score, but otherwise never threatened the junior lefthander. Clark had only one other base runner reach scoring position in her six innings of work before Lindsey McClellan pitched a scoreless seventh to finish the game.
Offensively, Florida Southern (6-7) scored seven runs in the top of the seventh to blow open what had been a 2-1 game. The Mocs sent 12 batters to the plate in their biggest inning of the year, picking up six hits and taking advantage of two Warner errors. The seven runs were driven in by seven different players, and Dani Blake had two hits in the frame, including a leadoff single that got it started. She also drove in the final run with another single.
Through the first five innings, it was a 1-0 game, with the Mocs scoring in the third after Dezirae Parsons went down swinging but reached safely when the ball got past catcher Danielle Fennimore for a wild pitch. Blake replaced her at first on a fielder’s choice and stole second before coming home on a triple by Steph Graziani. It was the first of two triples for Graziani, who also singled and scored as part of the seven-run seventh, and walked in the first inning.
Both teams scored in the sixth inning with the aid of errors. Erin Foley reached on one leading off the top of the inning, and after moving to second on a base hit by Clark, scored on a two-out single by Heather Raulerson.
Foley, Clark and Raulerson all drove in runs during the big seventh inning, as did Karlyn Scott, Randi Grimes, Parsons and Blake. The Mocs scored five of those runs in succession on a single by Clark, a bases-loaded walk by Grimes, a sacrifice fly by Raulerson, and back-to-back singles by Parsons and Blake.
The Moccasins finished with 12 hits off Rebecca Powell (2-3), with Graziani and Clark each picking up three. Powell went the distance, striking out eight and walking two.
In game two, Florida Southern scored the only runs of the contest in the top of the fourth inning, and it was enough for Derringer (2-1), who was making her first start of the season. The Royals seemed mesmerized for most of the game as the rookie lefthander gave up just four hits, struck out seven and walked two.
Derringer’s only real trouble came in the first inning. After getting the first two batters, she gave up a single to Brooke Gary and walked both Fennimore and Hopps to load the bases. After a brief meeting in the circle with head coach Chris Bellotto, Derringer got a force out at second to end the inning and gave up just three more base runners the rest of the game. She retired 10 in a row before pinch-hitter Kaitlyn Grimali singled with two out in the bottom of the seventh, but Derringer finished off the Mocs’ first shutout of the year with a soft liner to Brittany Martin at first base.
The Moccasins were held to six hits by the combination of Lindsey Martin and Haylee Padgett, but got three of them in the fourth inning for their two runs. Scott started the inning with a single up the middle, was bunted to second by Foley, and came home on a base hit by Martin. Martin then stole second, and the Mocs loaded the bases on a walk by Clark and single by Peggy Alex. Martin got a pop-up for out number two and the Royals made a pitching change, brining in Padgett.
With Christie Bailey at the plate, Warner catcher Hilary Fiocca tried to pick Martin off third, but Hopps couldn’t handle the throw, allowing Martin to scamper home with the Mocs’ second run.
Florida Southern will be back at home for its next game, hosting Saint Leo on Friday night at 7:00. It’s the first of a 3-game Sunshine State Conference series between the two teams.
