Box Score LAKELAND - Florida Southern saw its three-game win streak come to a halt here Friday evening as the Moccasins fell 9-4 to Eckerd College in the opener of its Sunshine State Conference series against the Tritons at historic Henley Field.
The Moccasins could never get a timely hit against Eckerd starting pitcher Jack Silberman or reliever Zach Hoppe in dropping its record to 18-18 overall on the season and 6-10 in the SSC. Eckerd snapped its three-game losing skid with the win and improved to 17-23 overall and 5-11 in the SSC.
On the night, the Moccasin offense, who was averaging 17 hits and 12.3 runs per over its last three games, were held to just 10 hits and four runs in Friday's opener against the Tritons. The four runs were the fewest scored by the Mocs since being held to two runs in a 3-2 loss at home to Rollins on April 2.
For the game, the Mocs, who left five runners on base and hit into three double plays on the night, were led offensively by a 3-for-4 night at the plate by junior centerfielder Sam Machonis (Tampa, Fla.) and two hits apiece from junior second baseman Shawn Sanders (Citra, Fla.) and junior rightfielder Jhalan Jackson (Winter Haven, Fla.). One of Jackson's hits was his 14th home run in the eighth inning.
Eckerd got the scoring started in the first inning as they used two hits, a bunt and a passed ball to score the game's first run off of Moccasin junior hurler Ben Richardson (Orlando, Fla.).
The Mocs, though, would answer in the bottom of the first as they scored two runs on three hits off of Silberman to take a 2-1 lead. Machonis opened the inning with a single and would score one batter later on a triple to left center by Sanders. Junior third baseman Chris Dennis (Rockledge, Fla.) drove home the second run on his sacrifice fly to center. After Jackson reached on a one-out single, junior catcher Blake Swann (Live Oak, Fla.) would fly out for the second out and Jackson would then be picked off first base by Silberman to end the inning.
Eckerd would retake the lead in the third inning thanks to four hits and and Moccasin error to push out to a 5-2 lead.
The Mocs would score one run in the third inning thanks to a lead off double by Machonis and an RBI single up the middle by Sanders to pull within 5-3. Silberman would prevent any more damage in the inning as he forced Jackson to ground into a 5-4-3 double play to end the inning.
Eckerd's lead grew to 6-3 in the fifth inning on a solo home run over the left field wall by Carter Cashman and would increase to 7-3 in the sixth inning thanks to two hits, a walk and a hit batsman.
The Tritons put the game out of reach in the seventh as Jake O'Rourke hit a two-run home run off of sophomore reliever A.J. Smith (Merritt Island, Fla.) to take a 9-3 lead.
FSC would complete the game's scoring in the eighth on Jackson's two-out homer over the wall in left field. He is now two shy of tying the school's single season record of 16 home runs, which is held by both Justin Hancock (2002) and Ryan McHugh (1995).
Richardson (3-7) took the loss as he threw 5.2 innings and allowed 10 hits and seven runs (six earned), while walking two and fanning three. For the game, the Mocs used a total of four pitchers.
Silberman (4-3) pitched six innings for the Tritons and scattered nine hits and allowed three runs, while walking none and fanning four. Hoppe pitched the final three innings for his first save. In those three innings, he allowed just one hit and one run, while walking four and striking out four.
Eckerd, who finished with 13 hits in the win, was led offensively in Friday's opener by a 3-for-6 night at the plate by Rowdy Andrews. In addition to Andrews, Luopa, Cashman and O'Rourke each had two hits in the victory.
The two teams will conclude the weekend series with a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 18 at Henley Field.
