Box Score 1
Cory Jensen hit for the cycle in the first game and started two rallies in the second game, as the Moccasins defeated Florida Tech ,9-8 and 5-4, Sunday afternoon at Henley Field. With the win the Moccasins improve to 9-7 overall and 2-1 in the SSC, while Florida Tech falls to 11-7 and 1-2 in conference play.
In the first game, the Panthers struck in the top of the first inning, as K.C. Clabough led off with a walk, stole second, and scored on a Scott Carcaise single to right field.
The Moccasins responded in the bottom of the first, as Jensen led off with a double to left center. T.J. Kuban reached base after a wild pitch on strike three and advanced to second on a throwing error by the Panthers catcher, which allowed Jensen to score. Two batters later Austin Chubb hit a two-run homer, giving the Mocs a 3-1 lead.
The Panthers scored one in the top of the second, but the Moccasins responded with two of their own. Kyle Gibbs led off with a double to left center. Two batters later, Jensen crushed his third home run of the season to right field extending the Mocs lead to 5-2.
The Moccasins followed with a two-out rally in the bottom of the fourth inning. Jensen and Kuban hit back-to-back singles, then Mike Snyder drew a walk to load the bases. Chubb hit a two-run single to left scoring Jensen and Kuban.
Jensen led off the sixth inning with a triple to center, making him the first Mocs player since Wade Kirkland to hit for the cycle. Kirkland did it on Feb. 20, 2010, against Pace. After the Panthers got two outs and intentionally walked Chubb, Brad Carlton was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Keith Curcio delivered an RBI-single to left, scoring Jensen and Chubb and giving the Mocs a 9-2 lead.
The Panthers tried to rally late, as Kevin Wortman and Ryan McChesney both went deep in the seventh to cut the led to 9-5. Florida Tech scored one in the eighth, before McChesney hit a two-run homer in the top of the ninth to cut the lead to 9-8, but Nate Carter got Carcaise to fly out to Curcio to end the game.
It was a similar story in the night cap, as Florida Tech scored twice in the first inning to jump out to an early lead. Jensen and Kuban hit back-to-back single to lead off the bottom of the first inning. After two strikeouts, Curcio hit a two-run single to left to tie the game 2-2. He advanced to third on a Kyle Jackson single and scored on a Colin Kish RBI-single giving the Mocs a 3-2 lead.
Florida Tech scored one in the top of the second to tie the game before Jensen struck for a final time. Jensen hit a one-out infield single, stole second base, and scored on a Snyder double to center. Chubb followed with an RBI-single to left, scoring Snyder to score.
That was all the support the Moccasin pitching needed, as Clay Chapman pitched five innings, scattering four runs on seven hits to pick up his first win of the season.
Austin Jackson and Nate Carter combined to pitch a scoreless sixth and seventh to close out the win.
Chubb had five hits and five RBI on the day, while Curcio had four hits and four RBI.
The Moccasins will return Henley Field Tuesday to face Saginaw Valley. Game time is 7 p.m.
