SALISBURY, N.C. - Florida Southern used solid starting pitching here Saturday afternoon from sophomore Ben Richardson and a strong performance once again from the bullpen from senior Nate Carter to post a 2-1 win over Catawba in non-conference action at Newman Park.

With the win, the Moccasins improve to 3-4 on the season and take the series 2-1 after splitting a doubleheader on Friday against the Indians (1-6). The Mocs dropped Friday's first game, 7-5, but rebounded to win the nightcap, 2-0.

In Saturday's win, the Mocs recorded just four hits and scored its only two runs in the third inning thanks to two hits and two Indian errors.

After that, the Mocs turned the game over to Richardson, who held the Indians at bay over the next five innings, before the bullpen allowed just two hits and walked one batter over the final two innings.

Catawba got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the second inning on an RBI single through the right side by Cameron Beard drove home Keaton Hawks, who had walked to lead off the inning.

The Mocs would answer in the top of the third inning as they took advantage to two hits and two Indian errors to plate two runs and take a 2-1 lead. In the inning, junior shortstop Casey Eddinger (Crawfordville, Fla.) reached on a one-out single to right and advanced to third when Catawba pitcher Craig Brooks threw errant of first base on a pickoff attempt. After senior second baseman Connor Szczerba (Titusville, Fla.) drew a walk, junior leftfielder Trevor Freeman (Shalimar, Fla.) drove home Eddinger with his double to right center to tie the game. The next batter for Mocs, junior centerfielder Keith Curcio (Sarasota, Fla.) hit a fly ball to center for the second out, but an errant relay throw by Catawba centerfielder Blake Houston allowed Szczerba to score from third base to give FSC a 2-1 lead.

Richardson, who is a native of Orlando, Fla., would then Indians in order in both the third and fourth innings, before allowing a one single to center by Dylan Richardson. That single snapped a string of nine consecutive batters in a row retired by the 6-foot-5 righty. Richardson would prevent further damage as he induced the next batter, Houston, to ground into an inning-ending 4-6-3 double play.

The Indians would put two runners on base in the sixth inning thanks to a walk and single, but Richardson once again righted himself as he retired the next two Indian hitters in order to keep the score at 2-1.

While Catawba was struggling to score runs, so too, were the Mocs as they had only five base runners over the final six innings of the game off of four Catawba pitchers and only two of those base runners, Curcio and senior designated hitter Jimmy Correnti (Fort Myers, Fla.), reached third base.

Curcio was the first to reach third as he walked to lead off the sixth inning, before stealing second and moving to third on a throwing error by Catawba catcher T.J. Wharton and Correnti reached third in the ninth inning after he drew a lead off walk, moved to second on a bunt by junior rightfielder Kyle Richards (Groton, Conn.) and advanced to third when junior catcher Joey Miller (Sarasota, Fla.) grounded out to Indian relief pitcher Ryan McClintock.

Richardson was replaced on the mound in the eighth inning by senior Steven Burnham (Valrico, Fla.) and in his two-thirds of an inning, he walked just one batter and retied the other two he faced, before Krolczyk was summoned from the bullpen to complete the inning. The first batter to face Krolczyk was Wharton and he delivered a single through the left side that put runners on first and second with two outs. The righthander from Coral Springs would end the Indians threat by striking out Hawks to end the inning.

In the bottom of the ninth inning, Carter, who is a senior from Boca Raton, Fla., opened the frame by retiring Ethan Satterfield on a foul out to first base, before allowing a single to right by Malachi Hanes. Hanes, though, would be retired as he was thrown out trying to steal second and pinch hitter Shafer Shephard struck out to end the game and help Carter earn his first save of the season.

Richardson (1-1) earned his first win of the season for the Mocs as he threw seven innings and allowed four hits and one run, while walking two and striking out a career-high six batters. Krolczyk pitched the final inning-and-a-third and allowed just two hits and recorded two strikeouts.

Brooks (0-2) was the loser for the Indians as he pitched six innings and allowed three hits and two runs (one earned run), while walking four and striking out six. Catawba then used three relievers to complete the game and they combined to threw a total of three innings and allowed just one hit, walked three and struck out two.

Eddinger finished the game with two of FSC's four hits, while the other two hits came from Freeman and Miller.

Wharton led the way for Catawba with two hits in the loss.

The Mocs will return home to historic Henley Field for a three-game series next weekend, Feb. 14-15, against Albany State. FSC will open the series on Friday, Feb. 14 with a single nine inning game at 6 p.m., before playing a doubleheader on Saturday, Feb. 15 beginning at 1 p.m.