Box Score TAMPA – Florida Southern got to Tampa pitcher Julia Morrow early Sunday and scored in three different innings against the senior All-American, but one big swing by Spartan first baseman Meagan Burke provided the different. Burke's 2-run homer in the bottom of the fifth inning broke a tie score and sent the Spartans on to a 5-3 win in the finale of the team's 3-game series.
After pitching two shutouts on Saturday and allowing only five hits in those two games, Morrow appeared mortal on Sunday with the Moccasins scoring three runs off her. Ultimately the game was decided by the bat of Burke, whose 2-run homer in the fifth snapped a 2-2 tie.
The Moccasins scored the first run of the game in the top of the second after senior Priscilla Gonzalez (Miami, Fla.) reached on an infield single and ended up at second on a fielder's choice where the Spartans couldn't record an out. Gonzalez later scored on a 2-out throwing error to put the Mocs up 1-0.
In the bottom of the second, Tampa (21-9, 9-6 Sunshine State Conference) responded with two runs, the first coming on a 2-out RBI double by Kelsey Humphrey which drove in Bre Setree, who had doubled to start the inning for UT. A bases-loaded walk to Kandi Kuder later gave the Spartans a 2-1 lead.
Back came Florida Southern (14-23, 1-11) though in the top of the third, using two singles, an error and a squeeze play to tie the game at 2-2. The hits came from senior Gianni Artidiello (Miami, Fla.) and junior Jordan Alexander (Valrico, Fla.), with an error in between that allowed Artidiello to take an extra base. That put her in position to score when junior Leah Pemberton (Valrico, Fla.) put down a bunt that Morrow got to Kuder at the plate, but too late to prevent the tying run from scoring.
It remained that way until the bottom of the fifth when Burke hit one over the fence in left for her fifth home run of the season, which put Tampa ahead 4-2. The Spartans added their final run in the sixth, with Sahrina Cortes picking up a 2-out RBI single to drive in Taylor Collins, who had reached on a 2-out walk.
The Moccasins weren't finished scoring either. In the top of the seventh a leadoff single by senior Jessica Lanci (Orlando, Fla.) turned into a run when senior Kylee Stearns (Lakeland, Fla.) doubled later in the inning, but Morrow got two outs after that to end the game.
Morrow is now 18-5 on the season after scattering six hits Sunday and giving up one earned run. She struck out 10 and did not issue a walk.
Junior Taylor Bowen (Newberry, Fla.) took the loss, falling to 3-7. The Spartans had eight hits off her, and four of their runs were earned. Bowen struck out two and walked four.
Florida Southern will play its next game on Thursday night when it opens a 3-game series at home against Florida Tech with a single game at 7 p.m.
