LAKELAND, Fla. – The No. 19 Florida Southern College baseball team was unable to hold off the No. 2 University of Tampa, dropping the doubleheader Saturday afternoon at Henley Field.
The Mocs (16-8, 3-3 SSC) had two homers by Berry in game one of the doubleheader but were unable to keep up with Tampa, losing game one 11-8. The Spartans (20-4, 9-0 SSC) had a big ninth inning, that broke a tie, scoring seven runs for a 14-7 game-two win and series sweep.
GAME 1: FLORIDA SOUTHERN 8, TAMPA 11
The Mocs had an early 0-1 deficit after the Spartans scored in the top of the first with a sacrifice fly but responded quickly with four runs in the bottom of the first.
Drew Cavanaugh was walked after back-to-back outs and was sent home after an RBI double by
Bryce Safferwich to even the score. The next batter,
Connor Berry smashed his first homer of the day in left field. Still with two outs, FSC continued to score with an RBI single by
D'Ante Starks for a 4-1 score in the first.
Tampa was quick to respond with five hits in the second, scoring three runs to even the score.
Aric McAtee, starting pitcher for the Mocs, prevented further scoring by the Spartans, leaving three on base. With the game tied at four, Tampa took the lead with six runs on four hits and an error, for a 10-4 score.
FSC cut into the deficit with three runs in the bottom of the third, first scoring from a solo shot by Berry for his second home run of the game in consecutive at-bats. Back-to-back RBI scores for the Mocs came next as
Rohsean Riley doubled to left center to bring
Mitch Donofrio home, and Starks an RBI single to the same spot.
Both teams traded a single score over the next two innings, with FSC's run a solo home run by Donofrio to left field. The score of 11-8 in favor of the Spartans through five innings would end up being the final score as pitching on both sides took over. Tampa's three relievers combined for four strikeouts and eight flyouts and 8 groundouts.
Justin Wit and
Kerry Wright had quality innings, but Mocs were unable to score on the opposite side as Tampa won 11-8 in game one of the doubleheader.
GAME 2: FLORIDA SOUTHERN 7, TAMPA 14
A change of pace for the start of game two of the doubleheader with two scoreless innings before Tampa scored first with three runs in the top of the third off back-to-back home runs by the Spartans.
Florida Southern responded in the bottom of the third with an incredible five-run half-inning from five hits. Starks and
Jevin Relaford opened with a pair of singles before
Ryan Magdic hit another single to bring home Starks. Cavanaugh brought home Relaford with an RBI single before it was Donofrio's turn to single home Magdic to tie the game. FSC took the lead with two runs scored on consecutive wild pitches in a 5-3 score through three innings.
Tampa narrowed the deficit with another homer, just one run behind the Mocs in the top of the fifth and took the outright lead in the next inning with three runs off five hits despite three left on. Florida Southern answered with home runs, beginning with Relaford's first homer this season, followed by a solo shot by Cavanaugh to tie the game in the seventh.
A scoreless eighth inning brought a dicey ninth inning with seven runs by Tampa, including a grand slam, for a 14-7 Spartans lead, which would end as the final score for the Tampa sweep of Florida Southern.
The Mocs will hit the road to take on Saint Leo next weekend, beginning on Friday, March 24, set for a 6 p.m. start in Saint Leo, Fla.
