MIAMI SHORES, Fla. – The Florida Southern College baseball team split their doubleheader against Barry University but win the series 2-1 Saturday afternoon at Feinbloom Field.
The Mocs (7-6, 4-2) rallied to score four runs in the top of the ninth inning for a 10-8 game one win. The Buccaneers (4-10, 1-5) held off another Florida Southern comeback to walk off in the bottom of the ninth and a 7-6 Barry win in game two.
GAME ONE
Florida Southern remained consistent with hitting with an early 2-0 lead through two innings after
Duncan Hunter and
Grady Maguire each tally an RBI single. The Bucs responded with a two-run homer by Casteneda to even the score in the third inning in what would be a back-and-forth battle.
Scoreless in the fourth for both teams,
Ahmad Fitts singled and showed his speed to advance to third while able to send
Jeff Liquori and
Julio Cortez home. With a 4-2 lead into the bottom of the seventh, Barry scored three runs from four hits to take the slight lead into the eighth. The Mocs again took the lead with doubles by
Connor Berry and
Jared DeSantolo to score two runs and 6-5 lead at the midpoint in the eighth.
An eventual end to the first game of the doubleheader as Barry scored three runs in the bottom of the eighth and 8-6 deficit for the Mocs to start the ninth inning. Hunter continued his strong hitting with a 2-RBI single which Berry and
Ryan Jenkins each notched another RBI with four-run clutch performance to take the lead.
Collin Camarigg held the Bucs at bay to seal the 10-8 win for the Mocs.
GAME TWO
Barry fired quickly and early to start game two with six runs and seven hits in the first inning. The Bucs had a three-run homer by Torres in addition to their other three runs on the ground on a 6-0 start to the game. Despite the early deficit, the Mocs had three hits in the third, including doubles by Liquori and
Nathan Chevalier to score four runs and narrow the Barry lead to two.
Florida Southern continued to chip away at the Barry lead with Hunter tallying his 11
th consecutive game with a hit to send Liquori home in the fourth inning. The Mocs made it a tie game in the sixth from an RBI single by Chevalier. A nail-biting next few innings as Barry left three on base over three innings into the bottom of the ninth.
Despite a noteworthy comeback, the Mocs were unable to send the game into extra innings as the Bucs capitalized on an error. Sanchez reached on a fielder's choice but as the Bucs advanced bases, Eusebe scored on the throwing error to end the game in a 7-6 Barry advantage.
UP NEXT
The Mocs return home for a two-game bout with Kentucky Wesleyan, beginning Monday at 6 p.m. at Henley Field.
