LAKELAND - Florida Southern concluded its three-game series here Sunday with 13th-ranked Mount Olive by rapping out 17 hits and scoring 14 runs en route to earning a 14-6 victory over the Trojans at historic Henley Field.

With the victory, the 16th-ranked Moccasins (4-5 on the season) snapped their three-game losing skid and salvaged the final game of the three-game weekend series against the Trojans. On Saturday, UMO took both ends of the doubleheader with wins of 16-7 and 13-5. 

On Sunday, the Mocs win was aided by a 5-for-5 day at the plate from senior leftfielder Kyle Richards (Groton, Conn.) and 4-for-5 day at the plate that featured two home runs and a career-high 7 RBIs from junior rightfielder Jhalan Jackson (Winter Haven, Fla.). His seven RBI were two short of the school record of nine RBI set by Fernando Arguelles against Lynn on Feb. 21, 1987.

For the three-game series against the Trojans, those two players combined to go 15-for-28 at the plate with nine runs scored, seven extra base hits and 13 RBI as Richards was 8-for-14 (.571) at the plate with a home run, five runs scored and 3 RBI, while Jackson went 7-for-12 (.583) with four runs scored, three doubles, three home runs and 10 RBI.  

In Sunday's series finale, the Mocs got the scoring started in the bottom of the second inning on a 2-run homer over the left field wall by Jackson off of UMO starter Jordy Farthing. The homer came one batter after junior centerfielder Sam Machonis (Tampa, Fla.) led off the inning with a walk. 

The Trojans would tie the game in the top of the third inning off of Moccasin junior starter Ben Richardson (Orlando, Fla.). In the inning, UMO recorded two hits and took advantage of a Moccasin fielding error by junior shortstop Shawn Sanders (Citra, Fla.) to score its two runs. 

FSC, though, would answer with a run in the bottom of the third inning on an RBI single to left by Jackson that plated senior second baseman Chris Dennis (Rockledge, Fla.) with the game's third run. Dennis had reached on a leadoff single, moved to second when junior first baseman Blake Swann (Live Oak, Fla.) was hit by a pitch and advanced to third on a double play grounder hit by Machonis. 

The Mocs lead grew to 6-2 in the bottom of the fourth inning thanks to an RBI single by sophomore designated hitter Jason Sierra (Sarasota, Fla.), an RBI on a bunt single by Dennis and a wild pitch from UMO reliever Jose Serrano.

UMO, who fell to 8-2 with the loss, would pull within 6-4 in the fifth inning thanks to two hits, a hit batsman and a throwing error by senior catcher Joey Miller (Sarasota, Fla.).

The Mocs would extend its lead to 9-4 in the sixth inning thanks to a bases clearing three-run double down the left field line by Jackson off of UMO reliever Hunter Barnett. The double by Jackson was his fourth of the season and third of the series.

UMO would creep a little closer in the seventh inning as they scored two runs off of three hits to pull within 9-6.

FSC would add two more runs in the seventh thanks to a 2-run homer by Sanders over the left field fence and added three runs in the eighth thanks to a lead-off solo home run by Jackson, an RBI double by Sierra and a sacrifice fly off the bat of Miller to complete the game's scoring.

Richardson (1-1) earned the win on the mound for the Mocs as the righthander pitched seven innings and allowed eight hits and six runs (five earned), while walking two and fanning five in his 109 pitch outing.

Seniors Austin Barnett (Lakeland, Fla.) and Casey Eskew (Sarasota, Fla.) pitched the eighth and ninth respectively for the Mocs as they combined to allow just one hit, walk one and strike out four.

In addition to combined nine hits from Jackson and Richards on Sunday, the Mocs offense also got two hits apiece from Sanders, Dennis and Sierra, while Sanders and Richards each scored three runs in the win.

The Trojans, who recorded nine hits in Sunday's loss, were led offensively by three hits and 3 RBIs from Kilgore Gailmard. In addition to Gailmard, Bretton Gouthro and DeAndre Allen each had two hits for UMO.

FSC held UMO's No. 3 and 4 hitters, Jason Morozowski and Rob Shipman, to just one hit in nine at-bats on Sunday after those two combined to go 9-for-19 with nine runs scored, 11 RBI and nine extra base hits, including six doubles in Saturday's doubleheader sweep.

Farthing (1-1), who was one of six Trojan pitchers to see action in Sunday's series finale, took the loss as he pitched the first two-plus innings and allowed five hits and three runs, while walking two and striking out two.

On the day, UMO's six pitchers combined to record seven walks in the game.

The Mocs will hit the road once again this coming weekend as they travel to Albany, Ga., for a three-game series at Albany State. The two teams will open the series on Friday, Feb. 20 with a single game at 6 p.m. and then play a doubleheader on Saturday, Feb. 21 beginning at 1 p.m.