LAKELAND, Fla. - The Florida Southern College softball team went the distance, rallying to a split with Southwest Minnesota State University to a doubleheader split. The Moccasins earned a win in game one after breaking the tie in the final inning for a 7-3 decision. Game two had an intense end in the 10th inning with SMSU pulling out the win 8-5.
With the split, the Mocs now move to 9-7 overall, while the Mustangs open their Florida road trip 1-6.
FLORIDA SOUTHERN 7, SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA STATE 3
The Mustangs attacked first to open the day with an RBI double for a 1-0 lead, the Mocs quickly answered back in the bottom of the second from junior
Kiki Morris with a single to left field to tie the game 1-1.
SMSU took back their lead in the following inning on an RBI double but FSC's senior
Leanna Kelly hit a shot to deep center field for a triple to put the Mocs in scoring position with the leadoff batter. In the following at-bat, Morris doubled down the left field line, scoring Kelly to tie it back up at 2-2. Freshman
Kenleigh Smith bunted, scoring Morris and FSC took the lead at 3-3 after four innings of play.
In the top of the sixth, the Mustangs tied it up once again, but in the bottom of the inning, the Mocs shut it down scoring four runs with Kelly leading the way with another single to open up the batting. Morris hit her second double of the night which allowed Kelly to get into scoring position at third.
Senior
Jessica Bryson hit an RBI single to left field to give Florida Southern a 4-3 advantage. The Mocs added on an additional three insurance runs with a 2-run RBI double from senior
Kelsey Peck and closed out the game scoring Peck on a junior
Taylor Thomas sac fly to defeat the Mustangs 7-3.
Morris and Bryson had a perfect game from the plate as both went 3-for-3 with two runs and two RBIs from Morris and one run and RBI from Bryson.
Thomas earned her first win as a Moc in the circle, pitching the entire game allowing two earned runs on seven hits and striking out two.
FLORIDA SOUTHERN 5, SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA STATE 8
FSC scored two runs to jump out to a 2-0 lead with back-to-back-to-back singles from Kelly, Morris, and Bryson scoring on an SMSU error and Thomas' RBI single.
At the top of the fourth, the Mustangs tied the game 2-2 where it remained until a sac fly in the bottom of the fifth to give FSC a 3-2 advantage. With another run from SMSU to tie the game once again in the top of the sixth Mocs answered back with a to take the lead once again 4-3 FSC.
Florida Southern looked to take game two but a late hit sent the game into extras that forced the game into an international tiebreaker entering the top of the 10th. The Mustangs went on a run-scoring an additional four runs giving SMSU a four-run advantage. The Mocs tried to rally back in with an RBI double from Thomas to cut the lead to 8-5 but it was all FSC had to close out the game with a doubleheader split.
Thomas led the way in game two going a perfect 5-for-5 from the plate with two RBIs and one run scored. In the circle, junior
Ashley Blessin pitched seven innings allowing just two earned runs while striking out five.
UP NEXT
The non-conference games continue for FSC with another doubleheader on Wednesday, March 8 against Lander University. The first pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m.
