LAKELAND, FLA. - The Florida Southern College softball team fell in the Sunshine State Conference series against Florida Tech Saturday, taking a victory in the second game of the weekend. The opening game on Friday night was delayed due to weather after six innings, and then picked back up Saturday morning before the doubleheader.
The Moccasins concluded the rain-out game, falling 14-9, before capturing a 4-3 win in game one of the doubleheader. The team dropped the series end-cap 4-1 after a big fourth inning from the Panthers.
With the series conclusion, FSC moved to 11-10 on the season and 5-4 in the SSC, while Florida Tech is now 14-14 overall and 4-8 in the conference.
FLORIDA SOUTHERN 9, FLORIDA TECH 14
The Mocs got out to an early 8-0 lead after the bottom of the first inning with big at-bats from sophomore
Destiny Colgate scoring juniors
Skyler Ralstin and
Taylor Thomas, who each reached on singles. Sophomore
Jadyn Bushnell also singled down the left field line, bringing in two runs for FSC to make it 4-0 with two outs.
Junior
Kiki Morris hit an RBI single to make it 5-0 before senior
Kelsey Peck belted her fifth homer of the season to make it 8-0 after one inning.
The Panthers answered back in every inning to follow, scoring one in the second inning before closing the gap to make it 8-6 after the third inning. Florida Tech took the lead in the top of the fourth making it 9-8, but FSC tied it back up at nine on a Colgate RBI double.
With the score knotted after four complete innings, the Panthers answered back once again with three more runs in the fifth and two more in the sixth to make it 14-9 before the rain delay. The Moccasins were unable to mount a comeback the following day as game one went to the Panthers 14-9.
FLORIDA SOUTHERN 4, FLORIDA TECH 3
The bats came to life early as they did in the previous game with this time Florida Tech striking first followed by FSC scoring three runs in the first inning. The Mocs' runs were hit in by Ralstin on an RBI single and graduate student
Maddi Conner with an RBI double to right center field to make it 3-1.
A run from the Panthers came in to make it 3-2, but Morris answered with a double to left center field, reclaiming the Mocs' two-run lead, 4-2 after four innings.
Florida Tech tried to cut into the Moccasin lead, scoring another run with two outs in the top of the seventh but a line drive into Thomas' glove at third sealed the Mocs 4-3 win in game two.
FLORIDA SOUTHERN 1, FLORIDA TECH 4
The final game started out quiet with both teams going through three full innings with no runs coming across home plate until the Panthers found their momentum in the top of the fourth to bring in three runs.
In the top of the seventh, the Panthers added an insurance run to make it 4-0, but in the bottom of the inning FSC got on the board, scoring Morris on an RBI double from Ralstin to cut into Florida Tech's lead. It was all the Mocs had in them to finish the SSC series with a 4-1 final, falling in the conference series, 2-1.
Colgate led in games one and three of the series going 2-for-4 with 3 RBIs and a double in game one and 2-for-3 in game three. In the win for the Mocs, Conner led the way going 2-for-3 with a run, double, and two RBIs.
Right-handed pitcher
Ashley Blessin got the win in game two pitching a complete game allowing three runs on six hits while striking out two.
UP NEXT
Florida Southern returns to Chris Bellotto Field on Tuesday, March 14 with a non-conference doubleheader against Post University. The first pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m.
