LAKELAND – Three was the magic number for a trio of Florida Southern hitters Tuesday night in its doubleheader against Warner, with Leah Pemberton, Kim Booker, and Jordan Alexander all on that list, and it was very nearly the right number for pitcher Brandi Jones too. The Moccasins got three run-scoring hits from both Pemberton and Booker in game one, while Jones allowed just four hits in a 9-1 Florida Southern victory, but the Royals spoiled a strong pitching performance from Taylor Bowen by scoring twice in the top of the seventh for a 2-1 victory in the nightcap.

Game one saw Florida Southern (17-25) bang out 12 hits and win by the eight-run rule after scoring four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. Pemberton and Booker each went 3-for-4 with three RBI in the game, with Pemberton hitting a pair of doubles, while Alexander scored three runs after reaching on a pair of walks and one fielder's choice. Alexander would later have a 3-hit game of her own in the second half of the doubleheader, and Kylee Stearns had two hits in each game for the Moccasins.

Jones and Bowen also starred in the pitcher's circle Tuesday night by allowing the Royals (13-11-1) to score just three runs, but so did Warner's Chelsie Valentine. The sophomore from Haines City beat the Moccasins for the second year in a row after Melissa Costero delivered a 2-run single with two out in the top of the seventh inning in game two.

Alexander, Pemberton, and Booker, the Mocs' 3-4-5 hitters, combined to give Florida Southern a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning in game one. Pemberton doubled in Alexander, who had walked with two out, and a single by Booker plated Pemberton with the second run.

That combination worked again in the fifth and sixth innings when Florida Southern scored seven times. An error opened the door for the Mocs in the fifth, and by the time it was over, Alexander had scored on the front end of a double steal with Pemberton, Booker had singled in another run, and an RBI triple by Hannah Loyer gave them a 5-1 lead.

In the sixth, the Mocs sent seven batters to the plate, and six of them reached to end the game right there. A walk by Ashlyn Worcester and hit batter against Jessica Lanci gave Florida Southern its first two base runners of the inning, and Stearns loaded the bases with a one-out single. Alexander then walked to force in one run, Pemberton hit a 2-run double, and Booker's third RBI single of the game gave Florida Southern the eight-run margin it needed.

Jones evened her record at 11-11 by going the distance and giving up only four hits and no walks with seven strikeouts. Three of those Warner hits came in the third inning when the Royals scored their only run, but two of them were infield singles by Cynthia Micochero and Jelisa Potter. The third was a single by Costero that looped into short leftfield and drove in pinch-runner Jacqueline Gomez.

The only other hit against Jones was a double by Erica Schick leading off the top of the fifth. At that point the Mocs were still clinging to a 2-1 lead, and Jones kept it that way by holding Schick at second with three straight outs.

While having to sit out a 57-minute lightning delay early in game two, neither side scored in that one until the bottom of the fifth when Lanci singled with one out, took second on a sacrifice bunt by Gianni Artidiello, and came home on a single by Stearns. The Moccasins, however, would leave 10 runners on base after recording nine hits and two walks. That left the door open for Warner, and the Royals were able to rally in the top of the seventh after Bowen had kept them off the scoreboard.

Held to five base runners through the first six innings, the Royals started the seventh with singles by Kaitlyn Ficcarotta and Makenzie Garcia, with Jessica Adams bunting them both into scoring position. Bowen got the second out of the inning after that before walking Micochero to load the bases. That brought Costero to the plate and she singled sharply up the middle to bring in two runs and put the Royals ahead. It also gave Costero all three of Warner's RBI in the doubleheader and doubled her total for the season coming into the night.

Valentine still had to work through the top of the Moccasin lineup in the bottom of the seventh though, but survived singles by Stearns and Pemberton that put runners at the corners with two out. She then got Booker to fly out to deep leftfield to end the game.

Valentine is now 9-2 on the season after allowing one run on nine hits, striking out one and walking two. Bowen fell to 3-8, surrendering two runs on eight hits with three strikeouts and one walk.

Florida Southern returns to Sunshine State Conference play this weekend with a 3-game series at home against Nova Southeastern. The first game is Friday night at 7 p.m., followed by a doubleheader at 1 p.m. Saturday.