Box Score SAINT LEO - Florida Southern brought out its offense here Saturday in the first game of its Sunshine State Conference doubleheader against No. 23 ranked Saint Leo as the Moccasins recorded 14 hits and scored 12 runs in its 12-2 win over the Lions at Thomas B. Southard Stadium.
With the victory, the Mocs improved to 16-17 overall and 5-9 in the SSC, while SLU fell to 29-9 overall and 10-7 in the SSC. The win also evened the three-game series between the two teams at a game apiece as the Lions posted a 9-8 win in Friday's series opener.
In Saturday's opening game, the Mocs had five players record two hits and had two players, junior third baseman Dominic Brugnoni (St. Clair Shores, Mich.) and junior shortstop Shawn Sanders (Citra, Fla.) each record three RBIs in the win.
The Mocs got on the scoreboard once again in the top of the first inning as Sanders hit a one-out homer over the left field fence off of Lions starter Liam O'Sullivan. The Mocs would add two more runs later in the inning as they loaded the bases thanks to a single, a walk and a hit batsman, before Brugnoni delivered a two-run single to left center to give the Mocs a 3-0 lead.
SLU would get on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fourth inning as sophomore Craig Savage (Apopka, Fla.) walked the bases loaded with no outs, before Zach Daley hit a fly ball to center for a sacrifice fly to drive home the Lions first run to pull within 3-1.
FSC got that run back in the top of the fifth inning as junior centerfielder Sam Machonis (Tampa, Fla.) was hit by an O'Sullivan pitch to lead off the inning. He would move to second on a bunt by Sanders, advanced to third on a ground out by senior second baseman Chris Dennis (Rockledge, Fla.) and would score on an RBI single by junior right fielder Jhalan Jackson (Winter Haven, Fla.).
The Lions pulled within 4-2 in the bottom of the fifth inning thanks to a walk and two singles, including an RBI single through the left side by Alex Mata off of Moccasin sophomore starting pitcher Craig Savage (Apopka, Fla.).
FSC added its fifth run in the top of the sixth inning thanks to an RBI single by Machonis. Machonis' single plated senior designated hitter Trevor Freeman (Shalimar, Fla.), who had reached on a one-out double.
The Mocs put the game away in the seventh inning as they sent 13 batters to the plate and scored seven runs off of six hits and took advantage of a Lions error to push out to a 12-2 lead. FSC got the scoring started on an RBI single by sophomore first baseman Jason Sierra (Sarasota, Fla.) and then Brugnoni followed with another RBI single. After Freeman recorded a single to left to load the bases, senior leftfielder Kyle Richards (Groton, Conn.) followed with a 2-run double to left to give the Mocs a 9-2 lead. The Lions would strike out Machonis for the second out, but Sanders would follow with a two-run single to give the Mocs an 11-2 lead. FSC would then proceed to load the bases again thanks to back-to-back walks issued to Dennis and Jackson and scored the final run of the game when junior catcher Blake Swann (Live Oak, Fla.) was hit by a pitch to score Sanders with the game's 12th run.
From that point, the Mocs turned the game over to sophomore reliever A.J. Smith (Merritt Island, Fla.) as he would allow just two runs over the final three innings of the game to secure his second save of the season.
Savage (3-3) earned the win for the Mocs as he pitched the first five innings and allowed five hits and two runs, while walking five and striking out two. Smith pitched four innings in relief and scattered three hits, while walking none and striking out one.
Sanders, Jackson, Freeman and Brugnoni each had two hits in the win for the Mocs, while Sanders, Jackson and Freeman each scored twice.
O'Sullivan (7-4) took the loss for the Lions as he allowed seven hits and five runs in six innings of work. O'Sullivan also walked two, struck out seven and hit three batters in his 114 pitch effort.
The Lions four relievers that saw action in the first game struggled as they combined to throw four innings and allow seven hits and seven runs (three earned runs), while walking three, fanning three and hitting one batter.
SLU had eight hits in the opener as Troy Sieber went 3-for-4 at the plate, while Nick Perez had two hits in the loss.
The two teams were scheduled to play the rubber game of the three-game weekend series with another nine inning game that was scheduled to begin at 5 p.m.
