Box Score 1
MIAMI SHORES - Florida Southern rapped out 17 hits and got two outstanding starting pitching performances here Saturday afternoon as the Moccasins completed its three-game series sweep of 10th-ranked Barry by taking both ends of a doubleheader over the Buccaneers at Feinbloom Field.
The Mocs opened Saturday's doubleheader by posting a 3-1 victory thanks to an eight inning pitching gem from senior Brian Johnson (Oldsmar, Fla.), before using another pitching gem in the nightcap from sophomore Ben Richardson (Orlando, Fla.) en route to posting a 4-1 win in the nightcap.
With the three wins, the Mocs improve to 15-6 overall and 3-0 in the SSC, while Barry falls to 14-6 and 0-6 in the SSC. With its series sweep, the Mocs have now won five straight series this season, including winning of them in sweeps.
In Saturday's first game, the Mocs jumped in front 1-0 in the second inning on an RBI single to right by redshirt sophomore rightfielder Dominic Brugnoni (St. Clair Shores, Mich.). Brugnoni's single scored Dennis, who had led off the inning with a single and moved to second on a bunt from junior catcher Joey Miller (Sarasota, Fla.).
Barry tied the game in the bottom of the third inning on an RBI single to right center off the bat of Branden Shaw.
The Mocs would take a 3-1 lead in the sixth inning on a 2-run double to left center by senior leftfielder J.J. Downum (Land O'Lakes, Fla.). Downum's double drove home both junior third baseman Chris Dennis (Rockledge, Fla.), who had reached on a one-out single and Brugnoni, who drew a 2-out walk from Barry's Jesse Montalto.
That would be all the run support Johnson would need as he would hold the Bucs off the scoreboard for the next three innings, before being replaced in the ninth by senior Nate Carter (Boca Raton, Fla.). The only trouble Johnson ran into was in the inning as the Bucs put its first two hitters on base thanks to singles and loaded the bases on another single, but the right hander worked out of the jam by inducing J.C. Cardenas to hit into a double play to end the inning.
In the ninth, Carter got the first two batters he faced out, before loading the bases thanks to a walk and back-to-back singles. Carter, though, would respond by forcing Barry's No. 8 hitter, Khalil Denson to ground out to him to end the game and seal his fourth save of the season.
Johnson (2-1) earned the win as he threw eight innings and scattered seven hits and allowed one run, while walking one and fanning three.
The Mocs offense picked up eight hits in the game as Dennis had two of those eight hits. He also scored two of his team's three runs.
Shaw, Denson and Luis Rios-Reyes each had two hits for the Bucs as they finished with nine hits for the game.
Montalto (2-1) took the loss for Barry as he threw six innings and allowed seven hits and three runs, while walking one and striking out six.
Meanwhile, in the nightcap, the Mocs once again jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth inning thanks to two hits and a fielding error on Barry pitcher Adrian Benitez. The hits in the inning were recorded by senior first baseman Trey Vavra (Menomonie, Wis.) and Brugnoni.
Much like the first game, the Bucs came right back in the bottom of the fourth inning and tied the game thanks to an RBI single by Denson, which plated Sheehan Planas with the Bucs only run in the nightcap. Planas had led off the inning with his 10th double of the season.
The Mocs broke the game open in the fifth inning as they recorded four hits and took advantage of two Barry errors to score three runs and take a 4-1 lead in the game. The Mocs first run was brought home on an RBI double down the right field line by Vavra and Vavra would score one batter later on a throwing error by Shaw in right field. The third run would come in as a result of a double to right by Brugnoni, which scored Dennis. Dennis had reached on fielding error by Tyler Kellman at first. The double by Brugnoni was his fourth of the season, while Vavra's double was his team-leading sixth of the season.
That three-run cushion would be enough for Richardson as he would retire six of the next seven Bucs, before running into some trouble in the seventh. In the seventh, Richarson, who unofficially threw 99 pitches for the game, opened the frame by hitting Greg Brodzinski with a pitch and then allowed a single to Denson to put runners on first and second with no outs. After Rio-Reyes hit into a fielder's choice that forced Denson out at second and moved pinch runner Nick Turco to third, Richardson would load the bases on a walk to Mike Diaz. Diaz's walk would end Richardson's day as junior Casey Eskew (Sarasota, Fla.) relieved Richardson and ended the game by forcing Shaw to ground into a game-ending 6-4-3 double play.
Richarson (4-1) pitched 6.1 innings and allowed nine hits and one run, while walking three and striking out two. Eskew faced just batter en route to earning his first career save as a Moccasin.
In the nightcap, FSC's offense recorded nine hits as Vavra finished with three hits and scored two runs, while Downum and Brugnoni each had two hits in the win.
Barry, who also had nine hits in the loss, got two hits apiece from Shaw and Denson.
Benitez (3-1) went the distance for the Bucs as he allowed nine hits and four runs (one earned), while walking none and striking out two.
The Bucs defense committed five errors in the nightcap and had seven errors for the doubleheader as they also had two in Saturday's first game.
FSC will now return home to Henley Field for a five-game homestand. The Mocs will open the homestand on Tuesday, March 11 with a 6 p.m. non-conference game against Winona State, before hosting Lynn in a three-game SSC series next weekend and concluding the homestand on Tuesday, March 18 against Warner at 6 p.m.    Â
