DAHLONEGA, Ga. -The Florida Southern College softball team closed out its first tournament of the season with a split in the Captain D's Surf 'N Turf Classic hosted by the University of North Georgia. The Mocs started the day with a 4-2 win against King University but fell to No. 5 North Georgia late with a 10-7 decision.
FLORIDA SOUTHERN 4, KING 2
It was a quiet game until the bottom of the third when leadoff hitter, senior
Jessica Bryson, singled to short and advanced to second on a Tornado error to put Bryson in scoring position. Bryson would steal third and later score on an RBI from junior
Kiki Morris to put the Mocs on the board first making it 1-0.
In the bottom of the third, freshman
Kenleigh Smith led off with a single up the middle to make the bats come alive for Florida Southern. Bryson followed up with a single to put Smith in scoring position, later earning the RBI when another King error made it a 2-0 lead for the Mocs. With Bryson on first, senior
Kelsey Peck stepped up and hit her fourth homer of the season to make it a 4-0 game in favor of the Mocs.
Florida Southern kept the lead the entire game only allowing two runs in the final inning to earn a 4-2 win.
The Mocs were led by Peck, Bryson, and
Skyler Ralstin all going 2-for-3. Peck brought in two runners, followed by Bryson and Morris with one. In the circle for FSC was junior
Mel Rogers who got the nod pitching six and one-third innings while striking out three batters.
FLORIDA SOUTHERN 7, #5 NORTH GEORGIA 10
FSC kept the bats alive, scoring five runs in the first inning to get out to an early 5-0 lead over the ranked Nighthawks. The Mocs continued their hot hitting in the second inning with a single from Morris that also moved the center fielder to a scoring position off a throwing error.
With Morris at second, junior
Taylor Thomas hit a two-run homer over the left field fence that increased the Mocs lead to 7-1 after two innings. FSC kept a six-run lead over North Georgia until the bottom of the fifth when four hits allowed the Nighthawks to score three to make it a 7-4 deficit.
In the sixth inning, the bats of North Georgia started to come alive as they took a 10-7 lead off two singles, a double, and an in-the-park homer.
In the final inning, Florida Southern tried to rally, loading the bases with the go-ahead run at home plate but the Mocs could not find the right pitch falling in the final game of the tournament 10-7.
In game two, the Mocs were led by Thomas going a perfect 3-for-3 from the plate with her first homer as a Moc, two runs scored, and three RBIs. Bryson went 2-for-3 with an RBI, followed by Morris, graduate student
Maddi Conner, and sophomore
Macayla Brady with a hit a piece.
UP NEXT
Florida Southern will jump right into Sunshine State Conference action with a series at Barry University on Friday. The first pitch is scheduled for 6:00 pm, followed by a doubleheader on Saturday at 1:00 pm.
