Mocs Pound Out 20 Hits in 18-5 Home Win Over Saint Leo

LAKELAND - After recording a combined 45 hits last weekend in its three-game series at Palm Beach Atlantic, Florida Southern kept up its hot streak at the plate here Tuesday evening as the 16th-ranked Moccasins pounded out 20 hits and scored 18 runs en route to posting an 18-5 win over Saint Leo in a non-conference game at historic Henley Field.

The win, which improved the Mocs to 21-9 on the season, snapped a seven-game losing streak to the Lions that had dated for the 2012 season. Prior to Tuesday's win, FSC's most recent win over SLU came in the first game of a doubleheader on March 10, 2012. In that game, FSC defeated the Lions, 5-2. Since that loss, FSC had lost seven consecutive games to their conference rivals, including suffering a 9-5 loss earlier this season at Saint Leo. Last season, FSC lost all five of its games against the Lions.

SLU fell to 16-12 with the loss and has now four straight games after getting swept in a three-game Sunshine State Conference series last weekend at then 15th-ranked Nova Southeastern.

Along with recording 20 hits and scoring 18 runs, the Mocs defense also had a hand in the win as FSC turned a season-high five double plays on the night. The five double plays was one short of the tying both the NCAA Division II and school record for double plays in a game. The record is six, which has occurred eight times in Division II history. FSC turned six double plays against Eckerd on April 3, 1998.

In Tuesday's win, senior first baseman Trey Vavra (Menomonie, Wis.) led the way offensively was he finished 4-for-6 at the plate with four runs scored and 2 RBIs. In addition to Vavra, senior second baseman Conor Szczerba (Titusville, Fla.), junior catcher Joey Miller (Sarasota, Fla.) and redshirt sophomore rightfielder Dominic Brugnoni (St. Clair Shores, Mich.) each had three hits and combined to score seven runs, including a career-high four runs by Brugnoni.

The Mocs opened the game by putting its first six batters on base off of SLU starter Kevin Games (1-2), who failed to record an out before being replaced by Tyrone Miller after allowing a 2-run single to left by freshman designated hitter Scottie Withrow (Seminole, Fla.). The Mocs got the scoring started on a lead-off homer by Szczerba and after junior centerfielder Keith Curcio (Sarasota, Fla.) reached on an error and Vavra singled up the middle, the Mocs lead grew to 2-0 following an RBI single by junior third baseman Chris Dennis (Rockledge, Fla.), who has now recorded 12 hits in his last four games after having two against SLU. After Withrow's single made the score 4-0, the Mocs scored its fifth run on an double play grounder hit by junior leftfielder Trevor Freeman (Shalimar, Fla.). 

Leading 5-0 after the first inning, the Mocs pushed its lead to 11-0 in the second inning as they recorded seven hits and took advantage of two errors to score six runs. The scoring got started on a 2-run double down the left field line by Vavra and after Dennis was retired on a ground out for the first out of the inning, Brugnoni drilled a Miller pitch over the fence in left center to give FSC a 9-0 lead. The next two runs came in thanks to a fielding error by SLU shortstop Taylor Perez. The error was one of two committed by Perez on the night and one five overall committed by the Lions in the loss.

SLU would prevent a shutout in the top of the third inning on a lead-off home run off of freshman hurler A.J. Smith (Merritt Island, Fla.) by Bobby Twitty. The Lions put its next hitter on base thanks to a single to right center, but Smith induced Zachary Gary to ground into a 6-4-3 double play and then got out of the inning by forcing Chris Newcomb to fly out to left.

The Lions would pull within 11-4 in the top of the fourth inning thanks to a 2-run homer by Fran Whitten. SLU would then take advantage of an error by junior shortstop Casey Eddinger (Crawfordville, Fla.) to plate its third run on an RBI single by Cole Stancil. Eddinger's error allowed Dylan Harris to reach base with one out.

The Mocs would get one of those runs back in the bottom of the fourth inning on a solo home run by Miller to give the Mocs a 12-4 lead. The homer by Miller was his third of the season.

FSC would plate its 13th run in the bottom of the fifth inning on a double by Vavra and a single by Brugnoni. The double by Vavra was his team-leading eighth of the season.

The lead would grow to 16-4 in the bottom of the seventh inning as the Mocs had two hits and took advantage of three passed balls and wild pitch by Ethan Lichtenberg to score three runs in the inning. Curcio got the scoring started as he crossed home plate thanks to passed ball by Gary and Vavra would score the second run on Lichtenberg's wild pitch. Curcio was hit by a pitch leading off the inning and Vavra singled to left before both runners advanced on the first of Gary's three passed balls. The third run of the inning came later on an RBI single up the middle by Miller. Miller's single plated Brugnoni, who had drawn a walk from Lichtenberg.

SLU would score its final run of the game in the eighth inning off of Moccasin junior reliever Casey Eskew (Sarasota, Fla.). The run, which came home on an RBI single to right by Nick Perez, would be unearned thanks to Taylor Perez recording a single and moving to second on a throwing error by Dennis at third base.

The Mocs would complete the game's scoring in the bottom of the eighth inning thanks to one hit, an SLU error and a passed ball by Gary behind the plate.

Two other Mocs, besides Dennis, would each have two hits apiece on the night. Those two Mocs were Withrow and Freeman. 

Senior Nick Krolczyk (Coral Springs, Fla.) earned the win (3-0) in relief of Smith as he pitched three innings and allowed just two hits and no runs, while striking out one and walking none. Smith pitched the first four innings and allowed eight hits and four runs (three earned).

On the night, FSC's bullpen allowed just a total of five hits and one unearned run over the final five innings of the game.

SLU, who finished with 13 hits in the game, was paced offensively by a 3-for-3 night at the plate by Alex Mata, while Cole Stancil also had three hits in four at-bats for the Lions.

Miller would pitch the next six innings in relief of Games and allow 12 hits and eight runs (six earned), while walking none and striking out one.    

The Mocs will return to SSC play this coming weekend as they travel to Tampa for a three-game series against the No. 1 ranked Tampa Spartans. The two teams will open the series on Friday, March 28 with a single game beginning at 6 p.m., before playing a doubleheader on Saturday, March 29 beginning at 1 p.m. UT won its 22 straight game and improved to 29-1 on the season following its 5-4 win Tuesday night at home over Flagler.