Box Score VIERA, Fla. – Day one of the 2020 Florida Tech Invitational started off with a Florida Southern College softball victory. The Mocs (2-1) won their second 1-0 game this week. The offense rallied in the seventh inning to take a 1-0 lead over the Tigers of West Alabama (2-4).
In a similar fashion as she did on Monday, freshman Tiana Hernandez pitched a gem as she threw another complete game shutout. Hernandez scattered four hits over seven innings pitched and struck out four batters in her second victory. Seniors Alex Mace, Meghan Sexton, and sophomore Maddi Conner all recorded a hit on the night.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Hernandez was able to strand a runner on third to get out of the first inning after walking the second batter of the inning and seeing her advance to third on a passed ball. She was able to get the final batter to ground out to third as she denied the runner from scoring.
- The first and second innings looked similar for Florida Southern as Celia Higgins walked in the first and was stranded following a foul out by Kensie Green to end the top half of the first. In the second inning, freshman Kelsey Peck walked with one out but the offense was unable to take advantage of the free baserunner. West Alabama's catcher Alli Craft singled up the middle for the games first hit, but Hernandez was able to force the double play as she got the next batter to ground out.
- Florida Southern went down quietly in the top of the third inning as Jadin Dewith went down looking and Jessica Bryson followed with a strikeout swinging. Lindsey Wilson ended the inning with a fly out to left, the first ball the Mocs hit to leave the infield. With two outs in the top of the fourth, Mace ended the Tigers' Kamree Lay's bid for a no-hitter and then advanced into scoring position on a passed ball. Peck would send a rocket right at the shortstop for the third out of the inning. Peck would make up for her at-bat in the top of the inning as she recorded all three outs in the bottom of the fourth in a span of four pitches.
- The Mocs would go down 1-2-3 in the top of the fifth before the Tigers threatened to break the scoreless tie in the bottom half of the inning. Abby McKee would send a ball about three feet in front of the Mocs catcher and beat out the throw to first as the Tigers attempted to get something going. She would advance to scoring position as the next batter took a free pass. Hernandez got some help from her catcher Green, as Green was able to hold on to the tipped third strike for the final out of the fifth inning. Higgins would get stranded on first after she reached on a hit by pitch.
- The defense kept West Alabama off the board in the bottom of the sixth. The Mocs would get a two-out rally going as Conner sent a ball just over the centerfielders head and landed near the base of the wall. Sexton would come up to bat and sent a scorching grounder through the outstretched glove of the Tigers third baseman and around third came Conner. She would dive headfirst through the catchers' feet to give the Mocs a 1-0 lead.
- Hernandez quickly got the first two batters out to open the bottom of the seventh. Peck would make a nice diving stop to keep a ground ball off the bat of Kailey Hunt to just a single. With the tying run at first and the winning run at the plate, Hernandez would get the final out off a weak ground ball in front of the plate that Green was able to corral and nail the runner at first for the final out.
UP NEXT
• The Moccasins will continue a span of eight games taking place in the Viera/Melbourne area of Florida. Day two of the Florida Tech Softball Invitational at the USSSA Complex will see them take on New Haven and No. 18 Alabama-Huntsville. The weekend will end with games against No. 4 West Florida and Molloy (Feb. 9).
