Box Score LAKELAND – Kim Booker delivered the biggest hit in the Moccasins' biggest inning of the year, before making two big plays on defense. Then, with the game on the line, Brandi Jones got the final two outs in a tough situation to hold off a late Panther rally as Florida Southern downed Florida Tech 5-4 in the opener of their 3-game Sunshine State Conference series Thursday night.
Florida Southern scored all five of its runs in the first inning, batting around and picking up five hits off All-SSC pitcher Rachel Pence. It was the highest-scoring inning of the season for the Moccasins, who went on to pick up 11 hits in the game, including two apiece by Booker and junior Maggie Roberts. The Mocs might have done even more damage, but the Panthers tied an NCAA Division II record by turning four double plays in the game, which allowed their own offense to mount a comeback behind the relief pitching of Amanda Kahn and Taylor Smith.
The Moccasins (15-23, 2-11 SSC) put their first five batters on base, starting with back-to-back singles from senior Gianni Artidiello (Miami, Fla.) and senior Kylee Stearns (Lakeland, Fla.). After junior Jordan Alexander (Valrico, Fla.) walked to load the bases, junior Leah Pemberton (Valrico, Fla.) singled into centerfield to drive in the first run of the night. With the bases still full of Moccasins, Booker lined a 1-2 pitch into the gap in right center, clearing them for a 4-0 lead. The senior catcher from Bartow ended up at third with a triple and scored when Roberts (Lakeland, Fla.) later singled for the Mocs' final hit of the inning.
The Mocs had two more hits in the bottom of the second, coming from senior Jessica Lanci (Orlando, Fla.) and Alexander, but Florida Tech centerfielder Elaine Brown kept them from scoring by throwing out Lanci at the plate. It was part of a strong performance by Brown, who also had two hits, a walk and a stolen base for Florida Tech.
The Panthers (29-12, 8-5) got on the board in the top of the fourth when Nicole Shinsky doubled in a pair of runs following an error and a walk. Jones got two strikeouts after that, and Booker got another out for her pitcher by throwing out Shinsky attempting to steal. It was the second time in the game Booker caught one of the Panthers after she'd nabbed Brigit Godfrey in the third.
Godfrey came up with an RBI single for Florida Tech in the top of the fifth to get the Panthers within 5-3, and after they stranded two runners in the sixth, they scored again in the seventh. Brown scored that run after reaching on a 1-out bloop single into short center and taking third on a hit by Nicole Miller. With runners at the corners and one out, Jones got Taylor Peterson to fly out to center, and though it was deep enough to score Brown, it got the Mocs out number two. The sophomore from Snellville, Georgia then had to face Shinsky, who had been 3-for-3 up to that point, one last time, and forced her into a pop-up on the infield to end the game.
It marked the 11th time in the last 16 meetings that Florida Southern and Florida Tech played a game decided by just one run.
Jones improved to 9-11 with the win, giving up four runs (three earned) on seven hits. She struck out eight and walked three. Pence fell to 19-9 with the loss, giving up five runs on seven hits with one strikeout and one walk in two innings. After Pence left the game, the Panthers received three shutout innings from Kahn and one from Smith.
Florida Southern and Florida Tech will play again Friday afternoon in a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m.
