Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 MELBOURNE, Fla. – Florida Southern College softball lost both games of its first Sunshine State Conference doubleheader. The Moccasins (5-5, 0-3 SSC) were run-ruled in the first game and then blew a 1-0 lead in the second game to the ninth-ranked Panthers of Florida Tech (4-7, 3-0 SSC) on Saturday.
HOW IT HAPPENED
GAME 1: Florida Tech 11, Florida Southern 3
- Florida Tech jumped out to an early lead in the bottom of the first. After a one-out walk and a caught stealing the Mocs were in a good position to get out of the inning unscathed, until three-straight walks loaded the bases. With two outs and a full count, Victoria Szrom hit a grand slam over the centerfield fence for a 4-0 Tech lead.
- The Mocs would get two back in the top of the second inning as freshman Kelsey Peck doubled to right-center to drive in Maddi Conner for the first Moccasin run of the afternoon. On the same play, Higgins would advance to third and come around to score on the throw to cut the Tech lead to 4-2.
- Florida Tech would show why they are ranked ninth in the country as they responded with another multi-run inning. Vanessa Rubio laced a bases-clearing double to right-center to give the home team a 7-2 lead in the bottom of the second inning.
- Florida Southern would tack on another run in the top of the third as Beka Schulte singled up the middle to drive in Jessica Bryson from second. Florida Southern's pitching would get a much needed 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the third.
- With one out, the Panthers put another run on the board on a fielder's choice. The Mocs would exit the inning with one run surrendered as the game moved into the fifth inning with FIT up 8-3.
- Florida Tech would add on three runs in the bottom of the sixth to win the game as the run-rule came in to affect. Florida Southern would fall 11-3 in game one.
GAME 2: Florida Tech 2, Florida Southern 1
- Game two was very different than game one as the Mocs kept the Panthers off the board in the bottom of the first inning. Southern would take a 1-0 lead on a one-out double off the bat of Celia Higgins who drove in Conner from second. Higgins would attempt to score on a double by Peck but the Panther defense put together a perfect relay and tagged the Mocs second baseman out at home.
- Southern's pitching would work around a two-out single to keep the lead in their favor. Leanna Kelly walked to open the top of the third and would advance over to third on back-to-back groundouts to the pitcher. The Mocs would strand her at third as Schulte would ground out to the shortstop to end the top half of the third.
- With one out in the bottom of the third inning, the Panthers put runners on the corner and then pulled off a double steal to tie the game at 1-1. With two outs, Tina Velazquez would drive in the eventual winning run as she singled through the right side for a 2-1 FIT lead.
- Florida Southern opened the top of the fourth inning with a single down the leftfield line off the bat of Kensie Green and then a walk by Conner. The Mocs would leave a runner on base as the Tech defense put up another zero on the board. Green's hit to lead off the fourth would be the final hit of the game for the Mocs as they would close out the game with one walk over the final three innings.
UP NEXT
• The Moccasins will return to Chris Bellotto Field for a doubleheader against Western Ontario (Feb. 21).
