LAKELAND, Fla. – The Florida Southern College baseball team drop game three against the Augustana University Vikings in a 6-3 loss Sunday afternoon at Historic Henley Field. The Mocs lose the series with the Vikings winning 3-0.
The Mocs (19-9, 4-2 SSC) took the lead in the first inning, but unable to score on eight hits for the day. The Vikings (5-1, 0-0 NSIC) scored three runs in the fourth and maintained their run advantage to hold off a Florida Southern comeback.
Both teams had a hit in the first inning, but unable to score into the bottom of the second. The Mocs had no one on with two outs, before
Tor Sehnert singled and stole second to put himself in scoring position. The Vikings walked
Grady Maguire and
Joe Raffaele was hit by a pitch to set up a bases loaded situation for the Mocs.
Jeff Liquori was hit by a pitch, the second such pitch of the inning, for an easy walk home by Sehnert as the Moccasins took the 1-0 lead into the third.
Duncan Hunter continued his hit streak with hits in the first and third, including a stolen base in the third but the Mocs unable to tally a run as the score stayed 1-0 Florida Southern advantage to start the fourth. Augustana powered into the top of the fourth with three runs after an RBI double by Rosencranz, followed by a two-run homer by Hines for the 3-1 Vikings lead.
Florida Southern started the bottom of the fourth with a bit double by Sehnert who stole third, the third stolen base of the game by the Mocs. Raffaele grounded out to third but earned the RBI with Sehnert coming home and narrow the deficit to one. The one-run lead did not stay for long as the Vikings made their way around with a sacrifice fly by Howell and 4-2 lead in the top of the fifth.
In the bottom of the sixth, the Mocs cut into the Augustana lead again with an RBI single by Maguire for
Connor Berry to score and set up the 4-3 Vikings lead to start the seventh. Neither team scored for the next two innings, but Rosencranz hit a solo homer and four total hits by Augustana in the top of the ninth to further the Vikings lead to three.
The Mocs rallied to earned two hits by Chevalier and Hunter but unable to score as the Vikings stayed with the 6-3 win. Hunter led the team batting three-for-five on the day. Liquori, Maguire, and Raffaele tallied the RBI for the Mocs. Florida Southern had a combined 12 strikeouts with
Aric McAtee, Dawson Lane, and
Ryan Langford contributing.
UP NEXT
The Mocs remain at home for a contest against No. 11 Seton Hill on Wednesday, set for a 1 p.m. start at Henley Field.
