Box Score MELBOURNE, Fla. – Florida Southern College softball dropped its first Sunshine State Conference game of the 2020 season. The Moccasins (5-3, 0-1 SSC) left 10 runners on base in a 7-4 loss to the ninth-ranked Panthers of Florida Tech (2-7, 1-0 SSC) on Friday night.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- After a quiet top of the first for the Mocs, Florida Tech took an early lead. Following a leadoff single and a steal of second the Panthers went to work putting together an eventful bottom of the first. The Panthers would pull off a double-steal as Cheyenne Nelson made the dash for home and Jaden Kline took off for second, a throwing error by the Mocs catcher allowed the home team to take a quick 2-0 lead. Vanessa Rubio stepped back in the batters box, and sent one over the left-field fence for a 3-0 Florida Tech lead.
- Florida Southern's Meghan Sexton laced a one-out single to center field, for the Mocs first hit on the night. Freshman Kelsey Peck would follow with a walk and the two would advance 60 feet on a wild pitch. Lindsey Wilson followed with a walk of her own to load the bases with two out. The half-inning would come to an end as Jessica Bryson grounded out to second base. Beacham would settle in and get the Panthers out in order.
- As the Mocs offense struggled to find a grove the home team would capitalize on a leadoff single as Kline sent one over the left-field fence for a two-run shot to give Tech a 5-0 lead. Tiana Hernandez would come in to take over the pitching duties for Beacham and got a ground out and fly out to end the inning.
- The Moccasins bats came to life in the top of the fourth inning as they put two runs across the plate. Sophomore Maddi Conner led off the inning with a double to centerfield and would advance to third on a flyout to right field, off the bat of Sexton. Peck walked to put runners on the corners. Senior Alex Mace drove in the first run for the Mocs as she singled up the middle to drive in Conner from third and Peck moved up to third base on the play. Wilson followed with an infield single to drive in Peck from third. The Mocs would settle for a pair of runs that inning.
- Hernandez would work around three walks in the bottom of the fifth to keep the Mocs deficit to three runs through four innings.
- Kensie Green would reach first on a fielding error by the third baseman with one out. Samantha Prosser would come in to pinch run for Green and moved up to second on a walk by Conner. After Prosser would move to third on a passed ball, Sexton would walk to load the bases. The Panthers would leave the half-inning with a three-run lead after getting back-to-back strikeouts from Peck and Mace. Tech would lead off the bottom of the fifth inning with back-to-back solo shots off the bat of Rubio – her second of the game – and Tina Velazquez. This would drive Hernandez out of the game and freshman Kaylee Cowart would enter the game. She would get three quick outs to limit the Tech damage to just two runs for a 7-2 FIT lead.
- Wilson opened the top of the sixth with a groundout and Bryson followed with an infield single to the pitcher. Jadin Dewith put down a successful bunt to third to give the Mocs a pair of base runners. The two would move up 60 feet on a wild pitch. Bryson would come in to score on an inning-ending double play off the bat of Celia Higgins. Tech would go down in order in the bottom of the sixth with a 7-3 lead heading into the final inning.
- Conner reached on a fielding error by the shortstop with one out. Sexton would send a single to centerfield and Conner would advance to third and come in to score the Mocs fourth run on a throwing error by the shortstop. The game would end on the next two batters as Peck would fly out to centerfield and Mace struck out swinging.
UP NEXT
• The Moccasins continue their three-game series at Florida Tech on Saturday with two games beginning at noon. They will return to Chris Bellotto Field for a doubleheader against Western Ontario (Feb. 21).
