AMERICUS, Ga. - The Florida Southern College baseball team won its first series of the season with a split doubleheader against RV Georgia Southwestern State University Saturday afternoon at Hurricane Stadium.
The Mocs (3-4) had another lengthy game with a 10-inning battle against GSW for game one of the doubleheader. FSC came out on top in that affair with an 11-7 score before falling to the Canes in the series finale. The Hurricanes (4-2) held off late scores in the final game of series to avoid a series sweep and won 4-3 to end the series in a 2-1 FSC advantage. The Moccasins won game one yesterday in a 15-inning standoff that ended with a 6-5 FSC victory.
FLORIDA SOUTHERN 11, GEORGIA SOUTHWESTERN 7 (10 inn.)
The first game of the day echoed game one of the series played last night as the Mocs had a big third inning to take a large lead before conceding in the bottom of the ninth to send into extras. Set on not extending the game into 4+ hours, a Nick Collins sacrifice fly and three-run homer by Rohsean Riley quickly put FSC back on top for Lake Fisher to save the game in an 11-7 series clincher.
Unable to score first, FSC saw a 2-0 deficit in the first two innings behind RBI singles in back-to-back innings by GSW. However, the Moccasins answered with a five-run inning in the third starting with a two RBI single by Bryce Safferwich. Bases loaded with two outs, FSC scored two free runs on consecutive walks for a 4-2 lead. A balk by Euson, pitching in relief of Clark, brought the score to a 5-2 FSC lead through three on just two hits, though three left on to fizzle the Moccasin scoring run.
Florida Southern added a sixth run in the fourth with an RBI single by R. Riley that had a 6-2 FSC lead until the fifth with a GSW solo run. The lead was again extended to four by the Mocs in the sixth after Tilden Agee lined one to left field, a lead that held until the ninth.
A solo run in the bottom of the eighth cut slightly into the FSC lead but Mocs still led 7-4 into the final bottom half. A single and back-to-back walks loaded the bases before two runs were scored on the third and fourth walk of the inning. A fielder's choice allowed the tying run to score before a game-saving out at the plate prevented the walk off.
In the 10th, D'Ante Starks opened with a triple to center field and Collins brought in the score on a deep sac fly to center. After Jaiden Warde walked and Safferwich was hit by pitch, R. Riley smashed the three-run homer for an 11-7 lead. With only one on and two outs, a hit by pitch and walk loaded the bases and tying run at the plate. Fisher pitched in relief of El'Rico Riley to secure the third and final out on a fly out and 11-7 FSC win.
Safferwich led the team with three hits with R. Riley and Starks each with two hits. Starks had a team-high four RBI. E. Riley was credited with the win and Fisher the save. Wyatt Clark was the starter and had five innings of work. Despite only four strikeouts from the five pitchers, Mocs won the game to outlast the Canes for the series clincher into the final game of the series.
GEORGIA SOUTHWESTERN 4, FLORIDA SOUTHERN 3
A lower-scoring series ender, that evaded extra innings, was a close hitting battle filled with costly mistakes on the mound for the Mocs. GSW took the lead in the fifth and held off the Mocs in the final two innings to avoid the series sweep and win 4-3 at home and a 4-2 overall record.
Collins continued the hot bat in the first with a single to right field that brought Jevin Relaford home. Relaford got on base by an opening fielding error and FSC kept the lead until the bottom of the second. Despite trading hits and no runs for a turn, a fielder's choice RBI in the B2 tied the game and remained until the fifth.
R. Riley had a hit in the fourth but otherwise FSC and GSW were hitless in a few innings until a two-run outing on back-to-back RBI hits in the fifth. The Canes took the 3-1 lead, which the Mocs cut into in the sixth with a solo homer by Collins, but GSW responded in their half with an RBI double for a 4-2 lead.
E. Riley had his turn at the plate and had a sac fly in the seventh to bring the score within one, but FSC went cold for a hitless final two innings for a GSW 4-3 win. Even in strikeouts at eight, FSC had five wild pitches and seven walks in the series finale. At the plate, Mocs were led by Collins and R. Riley, each with two hits. Relaford had two stolen bases for a season total of seven in as many games.
The Mocs will travel to St. Petersburg for a midweek game against Eckerd College on Tuesday, Feb. 13, at 6 p.m. before a weekend series at Barry University in Miami Shores on Feb. 23-24.
