LAKELAND, Fla. - The Florida Southern College softball team dropped its Sunshine State Conference series to Barry University on Saturday afternoon as late rallies allowed Barry to sweep the doubleheader, 6-5 and 2-1 in nine innings.
Kate Mikle led the Moccasins (5-8, 2-4 SSC) in game one going 2-for-4 with a double, followed by
Jadyn Bushnell going 1-for-2 with two RBIs. In game two
Destiny Colgate led FSC as the catcher went 2-for-4 from the plate both hits being doubles.
In the circle,
Mel Rogers got the nod in game one pitching 5 and ? innings. In game two,
Ashley Blessin pitched a complete game going the distance with nine innings pitched allowing just one earned run on two hits while striking out five batters of the 39 faced.
FLORIDA SOUTHERN 5, BARRY 6
It was three up, three down to open up day two of the SSC series as Barry had the first hit of the game in the top of the second, but it would be the Mocs to add the first run as
Taylor Thomas opened up the bottom of the second with a double to center field to get the third basemen into scoring position.
With two outs and Thomas at second,
Shelbie Valencia felt the pressure hitting a single up the middle scoring Thomas to make it a 1-0 ballgame. With still two outs the bats continued to stay alive as back-to-back singles added two more runs on the board as Bushnell singled down the right field line to score Valencia and
Kelsey Kadlub, 3-0.
The Bucs started the following frame with a Brooklyn Rushton homer, cutting the Mocs lead to 3-1. Barry loaded the bases and tied the game with a walk and a sac fly to even the score at 3-3.
In the bottom of the third,
Kiki Morris singled through the left side and advanced to second on a sac bunt to put the center fielder into scoring position. The Mocs capitalized on a pair of Barry's errors and took back the lead 5-3.
Barry kept the inning alive in the fifth off a double and single with two outs, as the Bucs tied the score off a Mocs error. Barry's Rushton led off the top of the sixth with a triple, scoring in the next at bat from a sacrifice fly to take a 6-5 lead with just one inning remaining. FSC tried to tie the game with hits in each of the following innings but the late runs gave Barry the 6-5 advantage.
FLORIDA SOUTHERN 1, BARRY 2
Blessin got the start in game two as the right-handed pitcher opened with back-to-back strikeouts to start the game. In the bottom of the first, the Mocs scored Morris from a Thomas RBI double to right field putting FSC up early 1-0.
The Buccaneers could not bring a run across until the final inning, when a pair of Mocs errors allowed Barry to score the equalizer run and send the game into extras. In the top of the ninth, Barry scored with no outs after loading the bases and Ruston hit a sacrifice fly to score the go ahead run.
Florida Southern takes a break from conference action as they host Wilmington University for a doubleheader on Tuesday, February 27. The first pitch is scheduled for 5:00 p.m.
