LAKELAND, Fla. – The Florida Southern College baseball team struggled to keep up with No. 9 Rollins College in a 24-16 loss Sunday afternoon at Henley Field.
The Mocs (29-15, 14-10 SSC) could not tally the runs down by at least four the entire game. The Tars (31-12, 20-4 SSC) were even in hits with the Mocs but tallied 24 runs to complete the conference sweep of FSC.
On a very windy day at Henley Field, the Tars opened with five runs scored off four hits, including a grand slam in the first inning. The Mocs were unable to answer in the home half of the first inning with a 5-0 Rollins advantage early.
A sacrifice fly in the second by the Tars extended the lead to six and the Mocs countered with the bases loaded in the bottom half after a couple of walks and hit batter.
Jevin Relaford, up to bat with two outs and bases full, was walked for a free run given to the Mocs.
El'Rico Riley was the next batter after a Rollins pitching change and was walked for the second free run of the inning.
D'Ante Starks flew out to center to leave three on but not before Mocs cut into the Tars lead 6-2 through two innings.
The wind continued to make an impact with more bases loaded on walks, including two walks and runs for the Tars, a wild pitch, a sac fly, and RBI hits for a 14-2 score in the top third. FSC had its first hit of the game by
Drew Cavanaugh in the third but was left stranded from a double play and fly out.
The next two innings were scoreless for the Tars as the Mocs had runners in scoring position with one out in the fifth. A double by
Bryce Safferwich and an RBI single by
Connor Berry brought home two runs but ended the fifth with a 14-4 RC lead.
The action continued into the bottom sixth with back-to-back walks and an RBI single by Starks to send Relaford home and no outs. Mocs added more runs with a two-RBI single by Berry and then a fifth run in the inning on a sac fly by
Mitch Donofrio, with only one out. Scoring continued with an RBI single by
Rohsean Riley, which would be the sixth and final run in the inning for a 14-10 RC lead.
Rollins responded in the top of the seventh with three runs to extend their lead to seven in the game and kept that lead despite bases loaded for the Mocs, who were unable to answer.
The top of the eighth was another tough inning for Florida Southern with seven Rollins runs and a 24-10 RC lead into the bottom eighth.
Ryan Magdic entered as DH in the eighth inning and notched an RBI, as did Starks in the next at-bat.
Julio Cortez also entered with a base hit, but Mocs ended with only two runs scored and a 12-run deficit.
Andrew Williamson entered in the ninth and retired each of his three batters with three strikeouts, but Mocs were down 24-12 into the bottom ninth.
Bases loaded and no outs proved beneficial for the Mocs with a three RBI double by Relaford and an RBI single by Magdic with four runs scored late and no outs, but that proved to be the end with a 24-16 RC win.
Mocs were even in hits, 20-to-20, and had 14 left on base (12 for Rollins). The 24 runs allowed was the third most in program history. FSC used nine pitchers and Rollins not far behind with six.
The Mocs will be on the road next weekend to take on Florida Tech beginning on Sunday, May 7, with a doubleheader at 1 p.m. in Melbourne.
