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Box Score 2 LAKELAND - Florida Southern concluded its three-game Sunshine State Conference series with Eckerd here Saturday by splitting both ends of doubleheader against the Tritons at historic Henley Field.
The Moccasins used a complete game six hit performance on the mound by sophomore Craig Savage (Apopka, Fla.) to post a 5-1 win in Saturday's opener, before rallying to score six runs in the ninth inning en route to suffering a 14-11 loss in the nightcap.
With the doubleheader split, the Mocs fell to 19-19 overall on the season and 7-11 in the SSC, while Eckerd improved to 18-24 overall and 6-12 in the SSC. The split also allowed Eckerd to take the series as they also posted a 9-4 win in Friday's series opener.
For the doubleheader, the Mocs recorded a total of 23 hits and scored 16 runs, while Eckerd recorded 22 hits and scoired 15 runs.
In Saturday's opener, the Mocs jumped in front 1-0 in the bottom of the second inning as they used a hit, an error on a failed pickoff attempt, a walk and a sacrifice fly off the bat of senior shortstop Casey Eddinger (Crawfordville, Fla.). Eddinger's fly out to the shortstop allowed junior first baseman Jason Sierra (Sarasota, Fla.) to score from third after he led off the inning with a double and moved to third on the error on a failed pickoff attempt.
The Mocs pushed in front 2-0 in the third inning on an RBI groundout by junior rightfielder Jhalan Jackson (Winter Haven, Fla.) and then added its third run later in the inning on an solo home run by Sierra over the left field wall off of Tritons starting pitcher Jimmy Gutowski. The homer by Sierra was his fourth of the season.
Those three runs would be all the run support Savage would need as he pitched eight shutout innings, before allowing a run in the ninth to earn his fourth win of the year and improve to 4-3 on the season.
After walking Carter Cashman on six pitches with two outs in the first inning, Savage would retire 13 straight batters before allowing a lead off single in the sixth inning to Jake O'Rourke.
For the game, Savage scattered six hits and allowed one earned run, while walking one and striking out five. He has now pitched two complete games in his last three starts as he also tossed a complete game in the Mocs 3-2 loss to Rollins on April 3.
Leading 3-0, the Mocs added two runs to its lead in the eighth inning thanks to two hits and an error to push in front, 5-0. In the inning, Jackson led off with a double and following an out, Sierra drew a walk to put two runners on base with one out. The Mocs first run came home on a throwing error by Eckerd first baseman Mike Abraham on a ball hit into foul territory by junior leftfielder Dominic Brugnoni (St. Clair Shores, Mich.). The error allowed Jackson to score and the Mocs added its second run of the inning on an RBI single by senior catcher Joey Miller (Sarasota, Fla.).
In the ninth, the Tritons scored its only run on an RBI groundout by Cashman, which plated Zach Mitsmenn, who had reached on a lead-off single and moved to second on a throwing error by Eddinger.
Gutowski (4-5) took the loss for the Tritons as he pitched 7.2 innings and allowed eight hits and five runs (three earned runs), while walking four and striking out three.
The Mocs offense was paced by two hits apiece from Jackson, Sierra and senior third baseman Chris Dennis (Rockledge, Fla.). Sierra scored three of FSC's five runs in the first game.
Mitsmenn led Eckerd with two hits in the loss.
Meanwhile, in the nightcap, Ecked jumped in front 3-0 in the second inning on a three-run homer by Rowdy Andrews off of junior hurler Brady Arenson (Glenview, Ill.).
The lead grew to 4-0 in the top of the third inning on an RBI single by Grant Banko.
Arenson, who earned a no decision, didn't make its past the third inning as he allowed five hits and four runs (four earned runs), while walking four and striking out six in his 93 pitch outing.
FSC would pull within 4-1 in the bottom of the third inning on a single by Dennis and a single by Jackson and a fielding error by Cashman in left field. Jackson, though, was out at third base after he over ran the bag and couldn't get back in time.
Eckerd extended its lead to 5-1 in the fifth inning on a sacrifice fly off the bat of James Petika.
The Mocs, though, would plate four runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to tie the game at 5. FSC got the scoring started when Dennis drew a bases loaded walk by Tritons starter Kevin Plant. Jackson would bring home the second run as he drew another bases loaded walk from Plant and the Mocs other two runs came home later in the inning on a two-run double to right center off of Tritons reliever Taylor Owens.
Eckerd would score seven runs in the seventh, including Cashman hitting a two-run, two-out homer off of senior reliever Casey Eskew (Sarasota, Fla.) and added two more runs thanks to a single, a triple and a sacrifice fly in the eighth to push its lead to 14-5.
The Mocs would respond in the bottom of the ninth off of Eckerd relief ace Kyle Harding. In the inning, the Mocs sent 10 batters to the plate and recorded seven hits and scored six runs. The inning began with back-to-back singles by Dennis and Jackson and redshirt junior Colton Davis (Lake Wales, Fla.) followed with a pinch hit RBI single. Sophomore Kevin Fuller (Ocala, Fla.) stepped to the plate as a pinch hitter and drilled a Harding pitch over the fence in right field for a three-run homer to pull the Mocs within 14-9. The homer by Fuller was his second career homer and first since hitting a home run against Albany State on Feb. 15, 2014. Eddinger drove home the next run on an RBI single up the middle and the Mocs final run came home on an RBI double to right center off the bat of senior centerfielder Kyle Richards (Groton, Conn.). That would be as close as the Mocs would get as Harding ended the game by striking out out junior second baseman Shawn Sanders (Citra, Fla.).
Sophomore A.J. Smith (Merritt Island, Fla.) took the loss (4-2) in relief of Arenson as he pitched 3.2 innings and allowed seven hits and six runs (four earned), while walking two and striking out none.
Owens (2-1) earned the win in releif of Plant as he tossed 2.2 innings and allowed three hits and no runs, while walking none and striking out three.
The Mocs finished the nightcap with 15 hits, including a 3-for-4 effort at the plate from Dennis. In addition to Dennis, Richards, Jackson, Sierra and Eddinger each had two hits in the setback.
Eckerd recorded 16 hits in the win as Lucas Luopa went 4-for-6 at the plate, while Banko was 3-for-3 with three runs scored and 3 RBIs. Andrews and Nick Hill had two hits in the nightcap.
For the game, both teams combined to leave nine runners apiece on base and Eckerd committed three errors, while FSC had one error. The two teams combined for nine extra base hits as FSC had three doubles and one homer, while Eckerd recorded two doubles, a triple and hit two home runs.
The Mocs will return to action on Tuesday, April 21 as they travel to Saint Leo for a 6 p.m. non-conference contest against the Lions. The Mocs are 2-2 this season against Saint Leo.
