LAKELAND â€" Two of Florida Southern’s biggest offensive weapons in 2011 stepped up in a big way for the Moccasins in their 2012 home opener against Webber International. So did one of their newest. Steph Graziani and Randi Grimes were in the first category, as Graziani had a total of seven hits, and Grimes drove in a total of six runs, while freshman Sam Gale came through with a big pinch-hit single in game two, helping the Mocs to 8-0 and 6-3 wins over the Warriors.
Graziani had started the year with just three hits in the first five games, but Wednesday night, the Warriors barely got her out. The senior second baseman went 7-for-8, including a 4-hit game in the opener when she also scored three runs and stole two bases. It was her first 4-hit game since her freshman year at Iowa Central Community College. She followed that with a 3-hit game in the nightcap when her 2-out RBI single in the bottom of the sixth inning snapped a 3-3 tie.
As for Grimes, the senior first baseman had two hits in each game, had four RBI in the first one and two RBI in the second. Three of her four hits in the doubleheader were doubles, including one in her final at-bat that gave the Moccasins some breathing room after Graziani’s go-ahead RBI single.
Gale earned her share of the spotlight by coming to the plate with the Mocs down by a run with two out in the bottom of the sixth inning of game two. With Dayna Hunn on second after hitting a double earlier in the inning, Gale looped a 1-2 pitch into short left that brought in the tying run. It was the first plate appearance of Gale’s career, and she joined Marty Wilcox and Cassie Haynes as freshmen on this year’s team who all came up with hits in their first collegiate at-bats.
The Moccasins (5-2) needed only five innings to win the first game by the 8-run rule, as Christine Clark held the Warriors (2-4) to just two hits, struck out six and issued no walks. She retired the first 11 batters of the game before Ashley Quigley doubled with two out in the fourth. Clark also left a single by Brittany Spencer on base in the fifth inning to toss her second straight shutout and improve to 3-1 on the season.
By the time Webber had its first base runner, the Mocs had already scored five times. Their first run came in the first inning by virtue of Graziani’s first hit and Grimes’ first RBI. Graziani had reached on a bunt single to lead off the inning, stole second and took third on a hit by Karlyn Scott. Grimes then hit a grounder to short and the Warriors tried to get Graziani at the plate, but the throw was late.
Another leadoff single and stolen base by Graziani got the Mocs going again in the third inning, and another ground ball by Grimes brought her in for a 2-0 lead. Brittany Martin then hit the first pitch of her at-bat over the fence in left center for a 3-run home run.
The Mocs added another run in the fourth on a base-loaded walk by Clark, and Grimes ended the game one inning later. With two out and the bases loaded again, Grimes hit a ball high and deep into the right field corner that twisted and turned Toni Marzello in different directions before it dropped in off her glove and behind her for a double.
In game two, Webber used a single by Maureen Sandidge, a two-base error and a wild pitch to take a 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning, but Florida Southern loaded the bases with none out in the bottom of the third and went ahead 2-1 on sacrifice flies by Martin and Clark.
The Warriors tied the game in the top of the fourth on a solo home run by Quigley before Sandidge singled and scored from first on another outfield error that put Webber back in front, 3-2.
Despite hits by Scott and Martin in the bottom of the fifth, the Mocs were unable to score and went into the bottom of the sixth still trailing 3-2. Hunn gave them life with a one-out double to deep center, and two batters later, Gale delivered her pinch-hit single to tie the game at three. Gale took second on the throw to the plate, and it put her in scoring position for Graziani, whose single up the middle put Florida Southern ahead to stay. Scott was then hit by a pitch for the third time in the doubleheader and scored her fourth run of the night on Grimes’ double.
Liana Derringer earned the win for Florida Southern by allowing just three hits and only one earned run. She struck out five and walked two, improving to 2-0.
Kiana Levy took the loss for Webber in game one, giving up six runs (five earned) on eight hits in 4.0 innings, and Dana Roloff suffered the defeat in relief in game two, giving up the final three runs.
Florida Southern will be at home again on Saturday when the Moccasins host Canadian national champion Western Ontario in a doubleheader at 1:00 p.m.
