Early Moccasin Lead Relinquished in 9-6 Loss Against #7 Lions

LAKELAND, Fla. – The Florida Southern College baseball team relinquished an early lead and was unable to rally with a 9-6 loss against No. 7 Saint Leo University on Thursday night at Henley Field.
 
The Mocs (9-17, 3-7 SSC) went up by a 4-1 score by the second inning after back-to-back strong innings but were unable to hold on in the series-opening loss. The Lions (25-4, 10-3 SSC) capitalized off FSC mistakes with back-to-back three-run innings in the fourth and fifth to take and extend their lead in the 9-6 win.
 
A great opening inning for the Moccasins as FSC starter Casey O'Dell retired his first three batters, including a strikeout. FSC followed with two runs in the bottom half, despite two quick outs. Jack Duffy got on base by a walk and Grady Maguire was hit by a pitch before a big two-RBI double by Rohsean Riley for a 2-0 lead early.
 
In the second inning, the Lions cut into the FSC lead with a solo homer by Nick Yedman, but Mocs answered with a first-pitch homer of their own by Tilden Agee, his first of the season. FSC continued the offensive success with singles by El'Rico Riley and Jevin Relaford, which led to a sacrifice fly by D'Ante Starks to bring another run home.
 
Saint Leo had another one-run inning in the third after a leadoff walk, a passed ball, and a wild pitch led to an RBI groundout for a 4-2 FSC advantage through three. The lead quickly flipped to the Lions in the fourth after back-to-back walks with two outs leading to a three-run homer. After FSC was shutout in the bottom half, SLU added another three runs in the fifth off four stolen bases, a costly throwing error, and an RBI single for an 8-4 SLU lead.
 
Neither team scored in the sixth inning, but a sacrifice fly in the seventh made it a 9-4 SLU lead. With two outs in the bottom of the seventh, Florida Southern had a solo homer by Duffy, his fifth of the season, to stick with a four-run deficit.
 
Mitchell LeRoy, entering in the fifth inning in relief of O'Dell, escaped a bases-loaded situation in the top of the eighth, giving FSC a chance in the bottom of the eighth to make a move. Mocs had three straight singles to lead off the bottom eighth, one each by Nick Collins, Agee, and Bryce Safferwich, for their bases-loaded opportunity and no outs. An infield popup was the first out, and a close groundout by Relaford brought one run home with two outs. A walk loaded the bases again, but they were left on with another infield popup.
 
In the final inning, Mocs had two quick outs, but a swinging strikeout got past the catcher for an awarded base. A subsequent hit by pitch and walk loaded the bases, which prompted a pitching change for Tanner Rollyson to face. Rollyson did his part to retire the final batter and gave FSC a chance to tie or win the game in the bottom of the ninth.
 
Maguire had a leadoff single, however, a lineout and two strikeouts ended the game with a 9-6 SLU win. Mocs outhit the Lions 13-to-8, but an error and nine walks were costly midway through the game. O'Dell had the loss, while Wolf was credited with his second win of the season. Jennings entered the game in the bottom of the eighth for SLU and was given the save, his fifth. FSC had five Moccasins with two hits, all from three-to-seven in the batting order.
 
The Mocs will wrap up their series against the Lions with a doubleheader tomorrow, March 29, set for a 1 p.m. start at Henley Field.
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