Baseball Loses First Game of 2020

COLUMBUS, Ga. - Florida Southern College baseball suffered its first loss of the season on Saturday as it fell 6-3 to Columbus State at Burger King Stadium. The No. 30 Moccasins (5-1) gave up three runs in the eighth to the Cougars (4-1) and were unable to rally back in the ninth inning.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• The Mocs threatened early with runners on first and second with none out in the first, but three-straight strikeouts retired the Mocs and left the runners on base.
• Columbus State put two runners on in the second on a walk and a single, but a strikeout and groundout stranded its runners as well.
• The Cougars got on the scoreboard in the fifth inning. Two singles and a walk loaded the bases, with another walk bringing home Connor Kirley to give CSU a 1-0 lead. The Mocs got out of the inning after a strikeout and a pop fly.
• The Moccasins had to get out of another jam in the sixth inning. Two walks and a single loaded the bases before Ryan Langford struck out three straight to end the frame.
• Vaun Brown tied the game at one in the seventh, as he launched his first homer of the year to left field.
• Three walks to start the bottom of the seventh inning loaded the bases for the Cougars, with a single and sac fly scoring two for the home team to put them up, 3-1.
• The Moccasins tied the game at three in the eighth inning after Zach Scott singled to right-center, scoring Ricky Gonzalez and a Christian Maglich singled to score Scott.
• Three singles loaded the bases for the Cougars in eighth, with a walk, sac fly, and single scoring three runs that would put CSU up 6-3.
• The Moccasins tallied two hits to put runners on first and second in the ninth, but the Cougars got out of the inning with a strikeout and a fly out to take the game, 6-3.
• Brady Kais earned the win for the Cougars while Mike Pelaez took the loss. 

INSIDE THE NUMBERS:

• The Moccasins walked nine batters on the day.
• Both teams were strong at the plate, combining for 22 hits. However, both teams left a total of 25 runners on base, including 16 for the Cougars.
• A combined 18 strikeouts were tallied between both teams.

UP NEXT:

Florida Southern will play game three of the series against Columbus State on Sunday at 1 p.m. before returning to Lakeland to prepare for next weekend's series against Lincoln Memorial.