Box Score
LAKELAND â€" Chelsea Oglevie was simply superb for Florida Southern Friday night in the opener of a 3-game Sunshine State Conference series with 10th-ranked Tampa, but one swing of Meagan Burke’s bat spoiled the result. Oglevie allowed just three hits, and Tampa’s pitching staff also allowed only three hits, while Burke’s RBI triple in the third inning gave the Spartans a 1-0 win.
The two teams combined for a total of 13 base runners, seven for Florida Southern (18-9, 4-3 SSC) and six for Tampa (20-4, 10-3). The Moccasins got only three of theirs into scoring position against the combination of Kayla Cox and Julia Morrow, and the Spartans pushed only four of theirs that far against Oglevie, a senior from Tampa. One of them came in to score when Kandi Kuder reached on a 2-out error in the top of the third and Burke followed with a triple to deep right. Tampa’s junior first baseman has now driven in 12 runs in seven career games against Florida Southern.
Oglevie’s final pitching line showed three hits, no walks and three strikeouts, but despite not giving up an earned run, she fell to 8-5 on the season. Beside the triple by Burke, the only other hits she allowed were a first-inning double to Kayleen Boatwright and a sixth-inning single to Bre Setree.
Florida Southern was held without a hit through the first four innings, but still put together a threat in the bottom of the first when Cox walked senior Christie Bailey (Jacksonville, Fla.) and junior Priscilla Gonzalez (Miami, Fla.). She got a ground out to escape and retired 12 in a row before senior Allasyn Lieneck (Oldsmar, Fla.) singled up the middle in the bottom of the fifth. Lieneck was caught stealing though to end the inning.
The hit by Lieneck was the only one given up by Cox, who struck out five and walked two before leaving in favor of Morrow to start the sixth. Morrow got into trouble when sophomore Jordan Alexander (Valrico, Fla.) singled with one out and junior Jessica Lanci (Orlando, Fla.) walked after a bunt. The Mocs stranded both runners though when Morrow got Gonzalez swinging for the final out of the inning.
In the seventh, Florida Southern again put two runners on against Morrow with a leadoff single by junior Kim Booker (Bartow, Fla.) and a catcher’s interference against Lieneck. But Morrow closed the door once more with a strikeout. It finished Tampa’s 12th shutout of the season, giving Cox a 10-3 record and Morrow her third save. Tampa came into the game leading the nation with a 0.56 ERA.
Florida Southern and Tampa will conclude their series on Saturday with a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.
