Box Score LAKELAND, Fla. - J.J. Niekro pitched six scoreless innings and Zach Diewert blasted a three-run homer in the eighth inning as Florida Southern College baseball won its home opener over West Florida, 5-0, on Friday night at Rodda Stadium at Henley Field. The No. 30 Moccasins (1-0) allowed only three hits to the No. 22 Argonauts (0-1) while tallying eight of their own, including four doubles.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Niekro got off to a shaky start, allowing a single to his first batter and, after a fielder's choice and a flyout, giving two-straight walks. The senior recovered nicely, however, striking out Ryan Brewer with the bases loaded to get out of trouble. Niekro would only allow two hits and one walk while striking out five more in the five innings after his opening frame.
- Diewert walked on in the second inning and became the first Moccasin run of 2020 after Christian Maglich lined a double into left-center field. The Moccasins ended the second with a 1-0 lead.
- Pitching would dominate over the next three-and-a-half innings as both sides allowed a total of four hits while fanning five batters. The Mocs doubled their lead to 2-0 in the bottom of the sixth inning when, after a leadoff double by Dylan Costa, Jacob Teter blaster a single down the right-field line that allowed the speedy Costa to score.
- Logan Verrino came in to relieve Niekro at the top of the seventh and promptly forced three flyouts. Alan Burnsed doubled to start the bottom of the seventh but two groundouts and a strikeout kept the Argos within two heading into the eighth inning.
- Diewert scored his second run of the night and first home run for the Mocs this season in the bottom of the eighth inning after he blasted a three-run homer to left field. The Mocs took a 5-0 lead into the top of the ninth where Thomas Spinelli took over. The Argos benefited from two walks, but a strikeout and two groundouts halted the West Florida surge as the Moccasins won the first game of the season, 5-0.
- Niekro was the winning pitcher with 6.0 innings pitched, allowing only three hits and walks a-piece while striking out six. Brewer took the loss for West Florida with five hits, two runs and seven strikeouts in 5.1 innings pitched. Diewert had the sole HR of the game.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
- The shutout is the first for the Moccasins since last season's 3-0 win over Palm Beach Atlantic on April 18.
- Niekro's six shutout innings are the most since March 6, 2018, when he pitched the same number of innings against No. 19 Mount Olive in a 0-0 tie. That game he allowed just two hits and two walks with seven strikeouts to his tally.
- Diewert picked up right where he left off last season, blasting a home run in the bottom of the eighth inning. The Canadian also hit a home run in the season opener against West Florida last year in a 9-5 loss on Feb. 1. Diewert hit 4-for-5 that game, with two doubles and 2 RBI to join his HR.
- The Moccasins improve to 27-20 all-time against the Argonauts, with a 17-7 record in Lakeland.
UP NEXT:
- Florida Southern faces off against West Florida in game two of the season-opening series on Saturday at 2 p.m. at Rodda Stadium at Henley Field.
