LAKELAND, Fla. – The Florida Southern College baseball team fell in extra innings by a 5-4 score against Eckerd College Friday night at Henley Field.
The Mocs (4-8, 1-3 SSC) traded runs early and later tied the game in the seventh before giving up two runs in the 12
th inning. The Tritons (7-6, 2-2 SSC) scored a two-run homer by Collier in the 12
th and allowed only one run in the home half of the inning to beat the Mocs 5-4.
Florida Southern had five hits to Eckerd's six in the extra-inning battle. The Mocs opened with two runs in the first before allowing three in the second. FSC went on to tie the game in the seventh to send it to extra innings and fell just short of a walk-off with the 5-4 home conference opener. Both teams had a combined 20 left on base and struggled with runners in scoring position. Each team had strong relievers with a final inning mound change to end the game.
The evening game opened with a hit by Eckerd but the runner was left on early to allow FSC to score two runs in the bottom of the first. A walk for
Jevin Relaford and an error allowed two runners in score position for
Bryce Safferwich to send one to left field. Relaford and
D'Ante Starks were each running for a double steal when Safferwich made contact and the early jump allowed Relaford to score from second. Continuing down the lineup,
Jaiden Warde singled to center field to bring in Safferwich and the second run of the inning.
Eckerd was quick to respond with three runs in the second off two hits and an error. A sacrifice fly by Lisle gave the Tritons the 3-2 lead before a scoreless streak until the seventh inning. Both teams combined for four hits in the five-inning stretch of scoreless activity, leaving eight on base with a few walks and hits batsmen scattered throughout.
In the bottom of the seventh, FSC took advantage of three walks in the inning and an error for a solo run to tie the game. Starks hit a sac fly to bring
El'Rico Riley home and tie the game at 3 apiece. Despite the bases loaded, a foul out ended the inning for all three stranded. Both starters went six innings and regardless of the early runs, each had a productive outing.
Marcos Herrand had the start for the Mocs and finished with two strikeouts in his 28 batters faced.
Another two scoreless innings brought by strong pitching by FSC's reliever
Casey O'Dell sent the game into extras, which O'Dell manned until the top of the 12
th. Just before the final inning, FSC had an opening single by
Nick Collins, but a fielder's choice and double play left the score 3-3 into the 12
th. Collier smashed a homer to left-center with a runner on to set a two-run deficit for the Mocs into the bottom half of the inning. Two walks and no outs led to a flyout with runners advancing into scoring position.
Rohsean Riley had an infield bat to bring Relaford home but a flyout by Warde ended the game one run short.
Despite the conference loss, the Mocs improved at the mound for most of the game allowing only five walks to EC's 11.
Justin Stewart was handed the loss for the Mocs with Grubbs earning his third win of the season for Eckerd and Stockman his third save of the season. With five hits for FSC, Warde led the team with two hits as Starks, Safferwich, R. Riley, and Warde each had an RBI.
The Mocs and Tritons conclude their conference series with a doubleheader tomorrow, March 2, set for a 1 p.m. start at Henley Field.
