LAKELAND, Fla. – The Florida Southern College baseball team returned home to Historic Henley Field Friday night to face Palm Beach Atlantic University taking a 16-6 win in the first game of the three-game series.
The Mocs (20-9, 6-4 SSC) had 22 hits in the win, a new season-high, and tied a season-best margin of victory with 10 runs. The Sailfish (14-15, 3-10 SSC) had an early lead but were shut out for six straight innings as FSC continued to score for a 16-6 final. The Mocs' leaders in runs scored were
Bryce Safferwich and
Connor Berry, each with three. Berry also led the Mocs in hits, with four.
The Sailfish took an early lead, tallying their first run after a base gained on balls and a throwing error. They scored two more runs before the inning was over, bringing the game to a 3-0 Mocs deficit in the middle of the first. In the bottom of the inning, Florida Southern got to work, answering the performance with four runs of their own.
The string of Mocs runs began to fall into place at the first at-bat when PBA's pitcher walked
Ryan Magdic and
Drew Cavanaugh. Safferwich singled, enabling Magdic to score. Berry secured a base hit and
Mitch Donofrio reached first on an error, bringing Cavanaugh in for a run.
Rohsean Riley followed with a two-RBI double, driving in Berry and Safferwich. By the end of the first, the Mocs had worked their way to a one-run lead.
Both teams went without any runs until the fourth when the Mocs brought their lead to seven. A bunt put Relaford on base, followed by singles from Magdic and Liquori that brought Relaford home for the first of six Mocs runs in the inning. Safferwich had a defining at-bat, belting a home run to left field and driving in Liquori and Magdic. The homer was his eighth of the season and brought the team total to a conference-high 54 homers. Safferwich's homer marked 21 straight games going yard for the Mocs.
Up next to bat, Berry singled to left center field and Donofrio doubled to left field. Berry would go on to score, and Donofrio would advance to third, on a wild pitch while R. Riley was up to bat. With Donofrio still on third, Starks had a base hit to left center field and Donofrio scored the final run of the inning for the Mocs.
In the bottom of the sixth, Safferwich bunted, and Berry doubled, both ending up in scoring position and setting the tone as Donofrio came up to bat. Donofrio, with a base hit through the left side, was tagged out at second, but Berry and Safferwich were able to score.
With one out, Starks singled, Relaford walked, and Magdic singled. Starks scored on Magdic's single to right center, adding one more run to the Mocs' score.
In the top of the seventh,
Mitchell LeRoy relieved
Nathan Madej, allowing two hits in one inning. Palm Beach Atlantic scored three runs on five hits during the eighth after
Evan Mobley came in to pitch for the Mocs. With three runs scored and zero outs in the eighth,
Christian Suarez relieved Mobley, striking out the first two batters he faced. A fly out to right center ended the inning.
The bottom of the eighth began with a double hit to right center field by R. Riley. R. Riley advanced to third as Starks singled to left field and scored after both Relaford and Magdic walked. Starks, who had advanced to third on the previous play, scored on Liquori's single to right field that followed. The inning ended on a double play in which Cavanaugh was also tagged out.
PBA failed to score in the ninth after
Jake Curry pitched the final inning of the game. Madej was the winning pitcher, with six hits and three runs scored in six innings pitched.
The series against PBA will continue tomorrow in a doubleheader, with contests scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. at Historic Henley Field.
