Late Momentum Falls Short for Softball in Doubleheader at #3 Tampa

TAMPA Fla,-  The Florida Southern Moccasins fell on the road at the Naimoli Family Softball Field to the No. 3 Tampa Spartans Friday night in Tampa, Fla. The Spartans won game one 8-0 in six innings while the Mocs gave a late effort and dropped game two 5-4.
Florida Southern (14-13, 5-6 SSC) and Tampa (20-1, 8-0 SSC) will play a single game Saturday to wrap up play in the three-game Sunshine State Conference series.
 
Senior Kelsey Peck paced the Mocs on the day with three hits ahead of junior Kiki Morris' pair of hits while four other Moccasins registered a hit on the day in freshman Kenleigh Smith, sophomore Destiny Colgate, and juniors Skyler Ralstin and Taylor Thomas.
 
#3 UT 8, FSC 0 (6 innings)
Tampa's offense was hot quickly as the Spartans scored three in the bottom of the first inning. Another run in the third for the Spartans saw a 3-0 UT lead to the home team. Tampa would tack on one in the fifth and three in the sixth to walk it off on a single to center field.

Ashley Blessin got the nod for the Mocs in the circle and pitched the complete game with one strikeout in the 34 batters faced.

#3 UT 5, FSC 4
Like game one, Tampa got on the board first with a pair of runs in the first inning. After going down in order in the first two innings, Kelsey Peck got things going for the Mocs with a double in the third but couldn't come around to score.

The Spartans added one run in the bottom of the third and two in the fifth for a 5-0 lead.

Florida Southern answered with three runs in the top of the sixth to cut it to 5-3. Kenleigh Smith singled to left field, scoring Kiki Morris while advancing Kelsey Peck to third. Off a throwing error by the catcher, Smith would advance to second on the failed pickoff, allowing Peck to score. Taylor Thomas drove in the Mocs third run of the inning on a single to left center scoring Smith from second.

A quick bottom of the sixth allowed for the Mocs' momentum to carry to the seventh, trailing 5-3, Macayla Brady would walk to start the inning. Morris would single to left field scoring Brady from second, who reached second thanks to an infield groundout to second base. Peck would single to put two ducks on the pond with one out, and get Morris to third with two outs to go trailing 5-4, but would strand the two runners on base as the inning came to a close.

Mel Rogers pitched the complete game with three strikeouts in the six innings of work. 

Up Next
The Mocs and Spartans return to action Saturday at 12 p.m. in Tampa.
 
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