ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Florida Southern College (9-4, 3-0 SSC) swept Eckerd College (5-5, 0-3 SSC) on the road in the Mocs' first conference series of the season. The 3-0 series win takes the Mocs' victory streak to seven games.
The Mocs (9-4, 3-0 SSC) held off a late surge by the Tritons in game one of the doubleheader to win 9-8. The Tritons (5-5, 0-3 SSC) were unable to stop Florida Southern and their dominant performance in game two of the doubleheader, as the Mocs swept the series and took game three 14-5.
Game One: Florida Southern 9, Eckerd 8
Bryce Safferwich and
Jeff Liquori led Florida Southern in hits, each with two. Liquori also led the team in runs, along with
D'Ante Starks, whom each scored two runs. The Mocs tallied three home runs during the game, hit by Safferich, Liquori, and
Drew Cavanaugh.
Neither team scored in the first, but the Mocs maximized their opportunities in the second inning, scoring seven runs. The first, a solo home run by Safferwich, set the tone for the rest of the inning.
Rohsean Riley singled to right center field, Starks was hit by a pitch and
Jevin Relaford singled to shortstop, loading the bases for the Mocs.
Liquori's base hit to second that followed enabled R. Riley to score on a throwing error by the second baseman. Another Mocs single followed, this one hit by
El'Rico Riley, and drove in Relaford. Next up at bat, Cavanaugh homered, bringing in E. Riley and Liquori for two more Mocs runs.
At the end of the top of the second, the Mocs had amassed an incredible seven runs on six hits, bringing the game to a 7-0 Eckerd deficit.
The Mocs added one more run to their total in the fourth thanks to a solo homer by Liquori.
In the top of the fifth, Starks singled to left center field, advanced to second on a throwing error by Eckerd's pitcher and advanced to third on a failed pick-off attempt. Starks scored on a base hit by Relaford.
At the bottom of the sixth,
Jake Curry entered the game to relieve
Aric McAtee, who, in five complete innings pitched, allowed only five hits and no runs. Eckerd staged a comeback in the seventh, scoring six runs in one inning off Curry.
Christian Suarez relieved Curry; less than an inning later,
Collin Camarigg relieved Suarez. By the end of the eighth, the Mocs' nine-run lead had decreased to three.
The Mocs failed to score in the top of the ninth as Eckerd scored two more runs in the bottom of the inning, closing the score gap to 9-8. In the last out of the game, the bases were loaded, but Camarigg struck out the batter, ending the game. McAtee was the winning pitcher, and Camarigg received credit for the save.
Florida Southern took the win, winning the series by default in the process – the final score was 9-8.
Game Two: Florida Southern 14, Eckerd 5
Parallel to the action in game one, Safferich was the first to enable the Mocs to score, with a first-inning double that drove in Liquori, who had entered scoring position by hitting a single and stealing second base.
Later in the inning, R. Riley drove in Safferwich with a base hit down the right field line. After the third out, two Mocs were left on base. Eckerd went scoreless in the bottom of the first.
The Mocs continued their action in the third after a scoreless second. Cavanaugh scored on a ground ball hit by
Mitch Donofrio; Safferwich also advanced to third on the play. R. Riley's at-bat was a single that drove Safferwich in.
Eckerd set out to answer the Mocs in the bottom of the third, scoring one run on two hits. The score was 5-2 through three innings.
Florida Southern pulled farther away from Eckerd in the fourth, starting with a home run by E. Riley. E. Riley's homer was the first of three runs on four hits in the inning for the Mocs.
Cavanaugh singled to left field and made his way to second on a wild pitch. He ran home from second on a double by Safferwich. This play prompted Eckerd to change pitchers. Safferwich advanced to third following a single hit through the left side by
Connor Berry, then scored as Donofrio hit a pop-up to right field.
The fifth inning was another busy one for Florida Southern.
Jevin Relaford singled to shortstop and gained second on a throwing error, then advanced into scoring position as Liquori grounded out to the pitcher. Relaford scored on a wild pitch.
Next up at bat, E. Riley gained a base after being hit by a pitch. He stole second while Cavanaugh was at bat, but the effort wasn't needed, as Cavanaugh belted a home run, driving in E. Riley.
Safferwich, who singled to shortstop following Cavanaugh's at-bat, scored once again on a double hit to right field by Berry. Berry ran home on a Donofrio single through the right side, and Eckerd made yet another pitching change. The Mocs ended their time on the offense with five runs on five hits in the fifth inning with FSC in the lead 13-2.
The top of the sixth began with Eckerd walking Starks. Starks gained second as Relaford was hit by a pitch. Both runners on base gained another base on a wild pitch, putting two Mocs in scoring position. This trend continued as Liquori was also hit by a pitch.
Nick Wells came in to pinch-hit for E. Riley. Wells flew out to centerfield, and Liquori was also out on the play, but the play enabled Starks to add another run to the Mocs' score.
Eckerd saw their highest-scoring inning of the game in the sixth, as they scored two runs on one hit to decrease their deficit to 10 runs. They added one more run to their total in the seventh, closing the gap to 14-5.
The seventh-inning Eckerd run would be the last run of the game, as the eighth and ninth saw no action from either team. Mocs pitchers
Kerry Wright and
Mitchell LeRoy prevented Eckerd from scoring for the remainder of the game.
Jordan Fox, after pitching six innings and allowing six hits and four runs, got the win for the game. Fox is now 2-0 on the season.
The series ended in a sweep for the Mocs. Next up, Florida Southern will return home to historic Henley Field on Tuesday, Feb. 28 to take on Florida Tech in a midweek battle, set for a 6 p.m. start.
