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Box Score 2 LAKELAND – Florida Southern had the early lead in game one of its doubleheader Saturday against Palm Beach Atlantic, and junior Taylor Bowen turned in a strong effort in the circle in game two, but the Sailfish used late-inning scoring in both games to come away with 7-1 and 4-0 wins over the Moccasins.
Florida Southern (14-20) started strong Saturday with three hits and two walks in the first two innings before PBA pitcher Rachel Hill (8-2) allowed just three more base runners during the remainder of game one. Although Moccasin senior first baseman Priscilla Gonzalez (Miami, Fla.) went 3-for-3 against her, Hill limited the Mocs to six hits, struck out six, and issued two walks, with both of those base on balls coming in the first inning.
Hill actually walked two of the first three batters she faced, putting senior Gianni Artidiello (Miami, Fla.) on to start the bottom of the first inning, and junior Jordan Alexander (Valrico, Fla.) on the same way. When senior Kim Booker (Bartow, Fla.) singled up the middle with two out, Artidiello came home to put the Mocs ahead 1-0.
Florida Southern got singles from Gonzalez and senior Jessica Lanci (Orlando, Fla.) in the bottom of the second but were unable to score when PBA second baseman Theresa Butler made a diving catch for the third out of the inning against senior Kylee Stearns (Lakeland, Fla.). Butler was forced all the way into the outfield grass and down the line in right, taking away a sure hit and one run from the Moccasins.
After that, the Moccasins' best chance at scoring came when Artidiello led off the fifth inning with a triple but was left there while Hill got three straight outs.
The Sailfish (19-16) took a 2-1 lead in the top of the third after a hit batter and a walk gave them two base runners, and they both scored on one play. Lindsey Johnson's single through the right side of the infield toward the second base bag got Butler in and sent Devin Williams to third. When the Mocs then tried to get Johnson moving up to second on the play, the throw went back into right field, and Williams scored the go-ahead run.
The only other run the Sailfish scored against Moccasin sophomore starting pitcher Hannah Loyer (Bradenton, Fla.) came on a home run by Johnson leading off the top of the sixth. Loyer, now 3-5, allowed just four hits and two walks in 6.2 innings with six strikeouts. They went on to score four in the seventh, though junior Kelliann Connors (Waterford, Conn.) was victimized by two softly hit bloop singles by Johnson, who went 3-for-3 with three RBI, and Shelby Wood that barely made it to the outfield. The third hit against Connors was an infield single by Williams, creating a very deceptive pitching line.
In the second game, Jana Wagner pitched a 2-hit shutout for Palm Beach Atlantic, which scored two in the third and two in the sixth for the 4-0 win. Wagner had three strikeouts and no walks to up her record to 5-3, but Bowen was pretty much her equal for most of the game. The junior from Newberry, Florida allowed only two earned runs (the two in the sixth) on eight hits, struck out two and walked three, but fell to 3-6.
The Sailfish managed to score their first run before they even had their first hit after Stephanie Garrels reached on an error to start the third, and Kayla Knight walked. A sacrifice bunt by Butler moved them into scoring position, and a fly ball by Williams got the first run in for a 1-0 PBA lead. The second one scored on a single by Johnson.
The Sailfish broke through for two more in the sixth, sparked by a triple from Brianna Rano, the only PBA player with two hits in the game. Two-out RBI singles by Garrels and Knight later made it 4-0.
Wagner took a no-hitter into the sixth inning before it was broken up by Lanci who doubled to left center. The Moccasins got another double from junior Leah Pemberton (Valrico, Fla.) in the seventh.
Florida Southern returns to Sunshine State Conference play next weekend with a 3-game series at the University of Tampa. Game one is Friday night at 6 p.m.
