DAHLONEGA, Ga. - The Florida Southern College baseball team won one and lost one in its first road series of the season against the University of North Georgia Nighthawks on the afternoon of Friday, Feb. 10 at Bob Stein Stadium. In the history of the two teams facing off, the Nighthawks had never defeated the Mocs.
Game One
The Nighthawks took an early lead in the bottom of the first with one run, batted in by a double to deep centerfield. The Mocs didn't take long to answer, as
Rohsean Riley found an opening in center field, making his way to first base and bringing
Connor Berry home. Immediately after R. Riley's at bat with the bases still loaded,
El'Rico Riley also singled, batting in a run for
Drew Cavanaugh and giving the Mocs the lead.
The Mocs went scoreless in the top of the third, but in the bottom of the inning, the Nighthawks tied the score with a run, bringing the score to 2-2.
Feeling the pressure from the Nighthawks, the Mocs got to work in the fourth. R. Riley hammered the ball over the left field wall and the Mocs took the lead once again.
The score stood stagnant until the top of the sixth, when the Mocs offense took off and didn't look back. Berry came up to bat and sent the ball over the left field fence for another Mocs home run. Cavanaugh was next up to bat and repeated for back-to-back homers for Florida Southern.
After the Nighthawks' pitcher walked E. Riley, the bases were loaded. A third Mocs' run in the sixth came in the next play, a successful bunt attempt by
Jevin Relaford that allowed
Bryce Safferwich to score.
Bases were still loaded when
Jeff Liquori came up to bat next. Liquori was thrown out on a fielder's choice, but his hit brought R. Riley home to increase the Mocs' lead to five runs.
With runners still on second and third,
Mitch Donofrio came up to bat. While Donofrio was at bat, E. Riley scored on a wild pitch and brought the score to 8-2.
During the bottom of the sixth, the Nighthawks attempted to answer the Mocs' dominant top-of-the-inning performance, getting one runner in scoring position, but the inning ended before UNG had the chance to score.
Berry scored his third run of the afternoon in the top of the ninth, making his move to home plate on a wild pitch while R. Riley was at bat.
In the bottom of the ninth, the Nighthawks sprang into action, scoring for the first time since the third inning. One of the Nighthawks' ninth-inning runs came from advancement on a wild pitch, followed by a three-run homer. Despite this burst of energy, UNG was not able to catch up to the Mocs.
Mocs' Preseason All-American
Nathan Madej was the winning pitcher, allowing only five hits in six innings. He had seven strikeouts in the win.
The game ended with a score of Florida Southern 9, University of North Georgia, 6, and was the Nighthawks' first loss of the season.
Game Two
Despite winning game one, the Mocs couldn't answer the Nighthawks' dominant performance, splitting the doubleheader with North Georgia and losing the second game of the afternoon 10-2.
The first inning was scoreless for both teams, but the Mocs had some momentum in the top of the second with a home run over the left field fence by
Bryce Safferwich.
University of North Georgia began to have action in the bottom of the third when the Nighthawks gained a base on balls and the double to center field that followed brought a runner home, tying the game 1-1. A home run followed for the Nighthawks in the fourth, giving the team the lead for the first time all day. This was also the first time the University of North Georgia had ever led the Mocs in the history of the two teams facing off.
The score was unchanged into the top of the sixth.
D'Ante Starks got in scoring position by stealing a base, giving the Mocs the potential to tie the game. Despite being on third, Starks did not get the opportunity to score as
Mitch Donofrio hit a ground ball to third and was thrown out before he reached first base.
After
Aric McAtee pitched five full innings,
Mitchell LeRoy came in for the Mocs at the bottom of the sixth. In the same inning, a double enabled the Nighthawks to score again. During the next at-bat, the Mocs defense failed to catch a fly ball to shallow center field, bringing two more Nighthawks in.
The next UNG batter hit another single and the Nighthawks scored twice once again. This prompted the Mocs to bring in
Kerry Wright to pitch. The score was 7-1 at the end of the sixth.
Florida Southern couldn't manage to regain momentum throughout the seventh and eighth. In the bottom of the eighth, with bases loaded, the Nighthawks had a base-clearing double and the score gap increased to nine runs.
With one out to go in the ninth, Donofrio belted a home run over the left field fence. This action was the last the Mocs would see in game two.
McAtee was handed the loss, his first of the season, after giving up two runs in his five innings of work. He finished with seven strikeouts on the day, facing 22 batters.
The final score was 10-2 as the Mocs lost to the Nighthawks for the first time in program history.
The Nighthawks and the Mocs will face off again tomorrow at 11 a.m. at Bob Stein Stadium in Dahlonega, Ga.
