LAKELAND, Fla. – The Florida Southern College split their doubleheader against Eckerd College, losing 5-4 in the first game and winning the second game 4-3 on Saturday afternoon at Historic Henley Field. The Mocs lose the series 2-1 after last night's 13-7 loss.
The Mocs (14-12, 5-4 SSC) were led by
Nick Wells, who hit consecutive at-bat home runs to lead Florida Southern to a game three win. The Tritons (11-13, 5-4 SSC) had back-to-back games with a home run by Donofrio to lift Eckerd over the Mocs in today's first game but fall in the second.
FLORIDA SOUTHERN 4, ECKERD COLLEGE 5
Both teams were scoreless through the first, each tallying a hit, but the Tritions were first to score with two runs off two hits in the top of the second. Down two, the Mocs responded with an RBI single by
Ryan Jenkins to bring
Seth Cannady home and 2-1 game through two innings.
Florida Southern brought in
Logan Verrino for
Dawson Lane in the fourth as the Mocs tied the game at two with an RBI by
Ahmad Fitts for
Jared DeSantolo to score in the bottom of the fifth. Scoreless in the sixth, Eckerd had a three-run homer by Donofrio to retake the lead with a 5-2 score.
A great job by the Mocs in the bottom of the seventh to score two runs and narrow the Eckerd lead to one.
Jordan Gaynor had an RBI triple for the first score of the inning, as
Nathan Chevalier hit an RBI single of his own for the 5-4 score, advantage to the Tritons.
Despite
Connor Berry hit by a pitch and two straight walks, Florida Southern left three on base in the bottom of the eighth, with no runs. Eckerd kept the Mocs scoreless in the bottom of the ninth and 5-4 win.
FLORIDA SOUTHERN 4, ECKERD COLLEGE 3
Another scoreless first inning, and another early Eckerd lead as they scored two runs in the second and 2-0 lead after a two-RBI single by Ballard. Still hitless through three innings, the Mocs earned an RBI single by
Duncan Hunter to send Liquori home. Liquori's hit in the fourth inning brought his hit streak to 17 games and extended his reach on base streak to 23 games.
A 2-1 game through four, Donofrio hit another home run, this time a solo homer in the fifth, to extend the lead to 3-1. Undeterred, the Mocs answered with a two-run homer by Wells in the bottom of the fifth to again tie the game at three. After no runs in the sixth, Wells hit a solo homer, his second of the day in consecutive at-bats, the second time by a Moccasin this season after Hunter did the same back on February 12
th at USC Aiken.
Ryan Langford kept the Tritons scoreless in the top of the eighth, as Eckerd left two on base and Mocs stayed a 4-3 advantage into the bottom of the eighth.
Nathan Madej came in for the save in the ninth as the Mocs hold on 4-3.
UP NEXT
The Mocs will face Saint Leo in a midweek non-conference game on Tuesday, before hosting Florida Tech for a three-game series next weekend.
