Mocs. Drop Both Games of Doubleheader to No. 1 Delta State

CLEVELAND, Miss. â€" Florida Southern Baseball (5-9) dropped the first two games of a three-game weekend series to number No. 1-ranked Delta State (9-0) here in a double-header at Ferriss Field on the campus of Delta State University.

After game one was postponed, Friday afternoon, due to poor field conditions the Moccasins took on the Statesmen twice today. In game one the Mocs would lose 12-0 (Box Score), while game two was closer, it still thad the same outcome with the Statesmen coming out on top 7-6 (Box Score).

The Mocs who were riding a five-game win streak coming into today was out hit 16 to four in the first game of the doubleheader. Starting pitcher for the Mocs, Clay Chapman (Orlando, Fla.), who would fall to 1-3 on the season, went 4.1 innings giving up 11 hits, seven runs (six earned) and fanning one.

Earning the win for Delta St. was Josh Branstetter (2-0) who pitched eight shutout innings fanning eight batters and allowing only four hits.

The second game of the doubleheader looked as if it would go the same way as game one when the Statesmen jumped out to 6-0 lead through the first three innings. The Mocs however had other plans as they used a one run fourth and five run fifth to tie the score up at sixes.

Keith Curcio (Sarasota, Fla.), who was hitless in game one, would single to start the fourth. After he stole second and moved over to third on a fly-out by Kyle Jackson (Avon Park, Fla.), Curcio would cross the plate on a RBI groundout by T.J. Kuban (Valencia, Fla.), plating the only run of the fourth.

In the fifth the Mocs used a leadoff single by J.J. Downum (Land O’Lakes, Fla.) and a RBI double by Conor Szczerba (Titusville, Fla.) to strike first in the fifth. The Mocs would plate another run after loading the bases and then drawing a walk to close within 6-3. Christian Magno (Longwood, Fla.) would hit a RBI groundout to score another run while Dominic Brugnoni (St. Clair Shores, Mich.) hit a two RBI single to tie the game at six all.

The Mocs would strand two runners in the top of the sixth before Delta St. would lead off the bottom of the sixth with a Ben Kingsley triple. Kingsley would score the go-ahead run two batters later on a RBI single.

In game two the Mocs would outhit the Statesmen 13 to six but they couldn’t overcome an early scoring effort by Delta to win the game. 

Pitching the entire game for the Mocs was Brian Johnson (Oldsmar, Fla.) who fell to 1-1 on the season; Johnson would pitch six innings, give up six hits and seven runs (six earned) while fanning four. The Mocs would be led offensively by Szczerba who went 3-for-4 in the late afternoon game. Three other FSC batters would hit 2-for-4 from the field during game two.

Earning the win in relief for the STatesmen was Ricky Winters, who gave up five hits and zero runs while striking out two in 2.2 innings. Delta St.'s starter Colton Mitchell would pitch 4.1 innings; give up eight hits, six runs (three earned) and strike out one FSC batter.

The Mocs will end the weekend series tomorrow in a 2:00 p.m. EST game back out at Ferriss Field.