Mocs End Road Series in a Loss Against West Georgia

CARROLLTON, Ga. – The Florida Southern College baseball team ended its road series against the University of West Georgia in a 3-1 loss on Sunday afternoon at Cole Field.
 
The Mocs (8-13) were even with UWG in hits but could not rack in the runs with a tough road loss. The Wolves (14-11) finished the series sweep over FSC in the low-scoring affair that didn't see runs until the fifth inning.
 
Florida Southern opened the series finale with a double by Jevin Relaford and D'Ante Starks got on base with a walk in the next at-bat in a promising first inning. A double steal put both runners in scoring position and a walk for Rohsean Riley loaded the bases with only one out. However, a strikeout and flyout left all three Moccasins on base in a disappointing inning.
 
Neither team notched a hit in the next 1 ½ innings until the top of the third when Starks had a single to center field. Starks then had his second stolen base of the game, his 14^th of the season, but he was left on base in consecutive outs. Both teams traded hits in scoreless innings, including a single by Bryce Safferwich, and another close inning with two Moccasins on base were left stranded in the top of the fifth.
 
Wyatt Clark had the start for the Moccasins and had a packed bottom of the fifth with a leadoff single and two walks to load the bases. A third walk brought in a free run for the Wolves before a pitching change to bring in Evan Mobley and escape the inning with only one run scored and three left on.
 
The Mocs were quick to respond with three hits in the sixth, culminating in an RBI single by El'Rico Riley to tie the game, but left two on in the tie game. UWG took back the lead in the next half-inning off an RBI single and kept FSC hitless until the top of the eighth. R. Riley had a single in the eighth, but no runs as the Wolves added a third run in the bottom eighth. Three straight outs ended the game for FSC in a 3-1 loss and series sweep for UWG in the tough road series.
 
Mobley was given the loss for FSC as Jake Jordan was credited with the win and Ryan Whitener the save for UWG. Safferwich led the team with two hits, with solo hits by R. Riley, Relaford, Starks, R. Riley, E. Riley, and Jaiden Warde. Relaford and Starks each had two stolen bases to bring the team total to 45 stolen bases off 48 attempts, third-best in the league, and both players top five in the Sunshine State Conference.
 
The Mocs will return to Lakeland to host Florida Tech in a non-conference midweek game, on Tuesday, March 19, for a 6 p.m. start, before traveling to No. 1 University of Tampa next weekend for an SSC series.
 
 
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