Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 ST. AUGUSTINE – Brandi Jones had another shutout performance in the circle for Florida Southern and got a lot of help from leftfielder Kylee Stearns in game one Friday as the Moccasins defeated Flagler 4-0 in the first game of their doubleheader. The Saints took game two, however, using three home runs to post a 9-0 victory in five innings.
The first game turned in Florida Southern's favor early when the Saints were unable to score after loading the bases with none out in the bottom of the second, and the Moccasins (7-2) scored twice in the top of the third. After Jones struck out the side in the bottom of the first, the Saints got a leadoff single from cleanup batter Maddy Murphy, and two more batters reached base on sacrifice bunt attempts. The Mocs failed to get the lead runner on one of those, and the second one reached via error. Jones got out of trouble though with a pop-up, strikeout, and ground ball back to the circle.
While Flagler (4-5) couldn't capitalize on its scoring chance, Florida Southern did. A walk by Kim Booker started the top of the third and Gianni Artidiello singled into left two batters later. After a passed ball moved them both into scoring position, Jordan Alexander and Jessica Lanci delivered back-to-back singles to score them and put the Mocs ahead 2-0.
The score remained that way until the top of the sixth when Leah Pemberton singled and Ashlyn Worcester walked before moving up on a wild pitch. Stearns brought them both home when the senior from Lakeland lined a triple down the line in right.
After the bases-loaded, none-out scare in the second inning, Flagler had only one other strong scoring chance in the game, and it was Stearns who denied them. With runners at first and second and one out in the bottom of the fourth, Mallory Allen yanked a pitch deep down the left field line that had the potential for a game-tying 2-run double. Stearns went racing into the corner though, sliding to the ground to make the catch. One runner was able to advance but a fly ball to Worcester in right kept the Saints off the board.
Jones followed a 2-hit shutout on Wednesday against Colorado Christian with a 3-hit shutout against Flagler that improved her record to 5-0. The sophomore from Snellville, Georgia struck out 12 and walked two, the third time this season she's had at least a dozen strikeouts in a game.
Tinsley Smith took the loss for Flagler, falling to 1-1, as she gave up four runs (three earned) on nine hits with five strikeouts and three walks.
In game two, Flagler scored its first two runs on solo home runs by Kayla Fuller in the first inning and Maddy Murphy in the third. Two more runs scored in the third on a triple by Hallianne Dohrn, giving the Saints a 4-0 lead.
The Saints had another 3-spot in the fourth with Murphy driving in one of those runs with a sacrifice fly, and the others scoring on a double by Tori Volz and a single by Mackenzie Conley. A 2-run homer by Reagan Oakes then ended the game by the run rule in the bottom of the fifth.
The Moccasins had four hits off Katelynn Smith (2-2), who also walked three and struck out two. Artidiello had two of those hits for Florida Southern and Lanci had two of the walks.
Taylor Bowen fell to 1-2 with the loss for Florida Southern, giving up four runs (only two earned) in 2.2 innings. She struck out two and walked three.
Florida Southern will play another doubleheader in St. Augustine on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. against Georgia Southwestern.
