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Box Score 2 LAKELAND – After Nova Southeastern used a 6-run fourth inning to pull away for an 11-2 win in game one of Saturday's doubleheader, Florida Southern scored six times in the first two innings of game two, highlighted by Jordan Alexander's 3-run homer as the Moccasins gained a split by defeating the Sharks 6-4.
It was a productive afternoon for Alexander, a junior from nearby Valrico who went 1-for-2 with a walk in the opener before driving in four of Florida Southern's six runs in the nightcap. Three of those came on a home run in the bottom of the first inning that put the Moccasins ahead to stay. Senior Gianni Artidiello (Miami, Fla.) also had good day at the plate by picking up three hits in the doubleheader, scoring twice and driving in one run.
The first game belonged to the Sharks (16-21, 4-14 Sunshine State Conference), who won by the 8-run rule thanks to their big fourth inning, where three runs scored on a double by Te Reo Powhiri Matautia. The junior centerfielder had two hits in each game for the Sharks, while Brenisha Bannister had a total of three RBI.
The Sharks had already scored four runs in the first three innings, which included an RBI double by Katrina Ammons in the first and a 2-run double by Bannister in the second, before erupting in the fourth. Their six runs in that inning came on just two hits, as the Sharks were on the receiving end of four walks and a hit batter to go along with two Florida Southern errors. One of those hits was a bunt single by Bannister that started the inning, and after the Sharks scored two runs on bases-loaded walks, Matautia knocked in three more with a bases-clearing double.
Florida Southern scored twice in its half of the fourth inning after a double by sophomore Hannah Loyer (Bradenton, Fla.) and a walk by junior Maggie Roberts (Lakeland, Fla.) gave them two base runners. Freshman Ashlyn Worcester (Bloomingdale, Ill.) moved them along with a ground out, and senior Jessica Lanci (Orlando, Fla.) got them in with a base hit into center.
Those were the only runs allowed by Nova Southeastern pitcher Rebecca Thornton, who helped her own cause with a bases-loaded walk in the fourth and an RBI single in the fifth. She allowed six hits in her 5-inning complete game, walked two and did not have a strikeout as she improved to 13-9 on the season.
The second game saw Florida Southern jump out to a 6-0 lead right away with three in the first and three in the second, and in each of those innings it was the top of the Moccasin lineup doing most of the damage. Artidiello, the Mocs' leadoff hitter, singled twice during that span and was on base in the first inning along with senior Kylee Stearns (Lakeland, Fla.) when Alexander launched one over the fence in left. It was Alexander's second home run of the season.
In the bottom of the second, the Mocs got a leadoff double from senior Priscilla Gonzalez (Miami, Fla.) before Worcester was hit by a pitch. Lanci bunted them into scoring position, and Artidiello drove in Gonzalez with a single to right. Stearns then walked to load the bases for Alexander, who hit a hard ground ball to short that strangely caromed off the glove and then the foot of shortstop Haley Gonzales, but carried right to second base where Dakota Villella picked it up stepped on the bag for the force out. That allowed Worcester to score and Artidiello made it 6-0 when Alexander allowed herself to get caught in a rundown between first and second with junior Leah Pemberton (Valrico, Fla.) batting.
The Moccasins were unable to score again though, as relief pitcher Maegan Lee, who had started the game at third base, kept them off the board for the next four innings. Lee entered after Gonzalez had doubled off Taylor Rotz to start the bottom of the second, and after allowing three of the first four batters she faced to reach, she retired 11 in a row before senior Kim Booker (Bartow, Fla.) broke the string with a single in the sixth inning.
The Sharks came back to make a game of it by scoring four unearned runs off Moccasin sophomore pitcher Brandi Jones (Snellville, Ga.). Three of those came in the top of the fourth after a walk and hit batter put the first two Sharks on base. Jones got two force outs after that, but Matautia scored the Sharks' first run on an error, and they tacked on two more on an RBI double by Gonzales and an RBI infield single by Bannister.
Nova used a triple by Villella and another error to score in the top of the seventh before Jones got the final two batters to close out the game. The Sharks got to Jones for nine hits in addition to one walk and five strikeouts, but none of the runs were earned. It was the second time in the series Jones (now 12-12) tossed a complete game without allowing an earned run.
Florida Southern (18-27, 4-14) will be on the road for a 3-game series at #23 Rollins next weekend, with a single game Friday night at 7 p.m., and a doubleheader on Saturday at 1 p.m.
