Baseball Sweeps Saturday Doubleheader to Win Series Over Eckerd

LAKELAND, Fla. – The Florida Southern College baseball team swept the Sunshine State Conference doubleheader matchup against Eckerd College Saturday afternoon to win the series 2-1 at Henley Field.
 
The Mocs (6-8, 3-3 SSC) capitalized on hits with runners in scoring position for both games to rally from last night's loss to win the first conference series of the season, beginning with a 5-1 victory in the first game of the day. The Tritons (7-8, 2-4 SSC) left a combined 24 runners on in Saturday's games and led to a newly instituted conference run rule in the series finale for an FSC 17-7 win in seven innings.
 
FLORIDA SOUTHERN 5, ECKERD 1
Game one of the Saturday doubleheader had similar vibes to last night's pitching dual as a solo run by the Mocs in the first was the only score until the fifth inning. Mitchell LeRoy had the start for the Mocs and made up for an opening walk with a great pickoff that later held the Tritons scoreless in the first.
 
Jevin Relaford opened the first with a single to left field, followed by a single by D'Ante Starks. A fielder's choice reach by Bryce Safferwich was strong enough for Relaford to score before ending the inning 1-0. Eckerd responded with three hits over the next three innings but was unable to score with six left on in that period.
 
Both teams traded a run in the fifth from an RBI single by EC's Abbott and two hits in the bottom half by the Mocs allowed an RBI single by Safferwich and another Relaford run scored. LeRoy continued his strong showing on the mound with five innings pitched and four strikeouts. Wyatt Clark relieved LeRoy for the next two innings and kept Eckerd scoreless, joined with Evan Mobley's final two innings to save the game.
 
As the Mocs continued to perform well at the mound, FSC excelled at the plate in the eighth with three runs off four hits. Despite two quick outs in the bottom of the eighth, Rohsean Riley opened the bats with a single, followed by a double from Jack Duffy. Brady Doorey entered as a pinch runner and made his way home with a Nick Collins RBI and later a Josh Hines RBI for a 5-1 score through eight. Mobley shut out the Tritons in the ninth to secure the even the series and send it to a game three decider.
 
The Mocs improved from yesterday's stat line when runners were in scoring position and capitalized with a .429 batting average when at bat with two outs. The Tritons left 15 batters on to the Mocs' seven in a great outing. LeRoy was credited with the win, his first of the season, with EC's Ramos the loss. Mobley also earned his second save of the season with two productive innings. Starks had a team-high two hits with Safferwich a team-best two RBI.
 
FLORIDA SOUTHERN 17, ECKERD 7 (7 inn.)
The entire starting lineup for FSC reached base with at least one hit, including one of the pinch hitters, as the Mocs tallied 18 hits and 16 RBI in the series-clincher. Logan Adams got the start and earned the win as FSC climbed to an early lead that proved too much for Eckerd's Kapela. New in 2024, Florida Southern ended the game in the seventh ahead by 10 runs for an SSC run rule implemented for game three of a conference series. El'Rico Riley led the team with five RBI off three hits and was joined by R. Riley with three hits and four RBI as team leaders.
 
After leaving two stranded in the first by EC, the Mocs had three hits, one each by Relaford, Safferwich, and R. Riley to score a run. R. Riley's single to left center sent Safferwich running from second to cross the base before R. Riley's failed chance to extend his bat to a double, though the run counted. Eckerd tied the game in their next inning off a solo homer by Young, but E. Riley responded with a three-run homer himself to extend FSC to a 4-1 lead.
 
Another productive inning in the third for the Mocs with five runs off three hits with RBI singles by Duffy, Collins, Chris McKenna, and E. Riley. The Tritons had back-to-back RBI hits in the fourth to cut into the FSC lead, though a solo homer by Duffy in the fourth led to a 10-3 FSC lead. Scoring continued in the fifth with two runs by Eckerd from a 2 RBI single by Brazer, but FSC had six in the bottom half off six hits. Starks and R. Riley each had an RBI double and Jaiden Warde added an RBI triple for a 16-5 game.
 
Eckerd took advantage of a pitching change by the Mocs and four walks in the sixth to make it a 16-7 FSC lead, but FSC rebounded in the bottom of the seventh with an RBI single by McKenna for Duffy to score and eclipse the 10-run rule mark.
 
The Mocs will stay at home for a busy spring break that begins with a two-game series against Kentucky Wesleyan on Monday, March 4, set for a 6 p.m. start at Henley Field. Mocs will face KWU on Tuesday, March 5, at 6 p.m. before a two-day break.
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