LAKELAND, Fla. - The Florida Southern College softball team earned a non-conference doubleheader split as the Moccasins shutout King University 2-0 in game one, and a late run allowed the Tornado to take game two 2-1 on Chris Bellotto Field on Wednesday evening.
With the split, FSC moves to 8-12 while King is now 13-6 on the year.
FLORIDA SOUTHERN 2, KING 0
In the circle,
Ashley Blessin (4-4) pitched a complete game facing 26 batters while striking out four batters to earn the win allowing just five hits in the shutout.
King opened up the game hot with a leadoff single to get the bats alive, but quick defensive work and two Blessin strikeouts got the Mocs out of the inning with no runs scored.
In the bottom of the second,
Jadyn Bushnell and
Taylor Thomas hit back-to-back singles to get runners in scoring position, but they were both left stranded, keeping the game scoreless after two complete innings.
The Tornado had another single in the top of the third, but the game remained scoreless until the bottom of the third.
Gabby Young was walked for her second at-bat and would advance to score on a Tornado error to make it 1-0.
Kiki Morris reached on the error and scored from
Kate Mikle to earn an RBI and take a 2-0 lead.
The remaining innings were quick three up, three down on both sides, until the top of the seventh when King needed to rally to stay in it. Alyssa Suits led off with a single and advanced to second on an Aviah Bunsic single but the Tornado was left stranded as the Mocs took game one, 2-0.
In the circle,
Ashley Blessin (4-4) pitched a complete game facing 26 batters while striking out four batters to earn the win allowing just five hits in the shutout. FSC had just two hits in the win, as Thomas and Bushnell both went 1-for-2 from the plate and Mikle contributed with the runner batted in.
FLORIDA SOUTHERN 1, KING 2
King led off with another single to start the second game and advanced the runner into scoring position with a double to have runners at second and third with two outs. FSC was able to get out of the inning with no damage done.
The top of the third, the Tornado hit an RBI double putting the first run of the day on the board for the King. In the bottom of the third, FSC tied it up as
Skyler Ralstin singled through the left side and scored on a bases-loaded walk making it all tied up, 1-1.
In the top of the seventh, King took the lead scoring on a sacrifice fly to take a 2-1 lead.
Kenleigh Smith singled in the bottom of the seventh trying to get a rally going for FSC, but a strikeout swinging gave the Tornado a 2-1 win to split the series.
Ralstin led the way in game two going 2-for-4. In the circle,
Amanda Lieberman had four strikeouts pitching a complete game with nine hits facing 27 batters.
Florida Southern jumps right back into action tomorrow with another doubleheader as the host Southwest Minnesota State. The first pitch is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. at Chris Bellotto Field.
