Mocs Fall to Fighting Knights in Series Opener

LAKELAND, Fla. – The Florida Southern College baseball team lost its conference series opener against Lynn University on Friday night by an 8-4 score at Henley Field.
 
The Mocs (12-22, 6-10 SSC) scored first in the bottom of the first inning and went scoreless over the next six innings in the opening loss. The Fighting Knights (21-18, 7-12 SSC) held FSC to just four runs in a strong day at the mound for LU and 8-4 victory.
 
Florida Southern started Casey O'Dell at the plate, who gave up a leadoff double, but pulled two groundouts and a swinging strikeout to retire the inning and leave Lynn stranded. FSC took advantage in the bottom half with an RBI single by Jack Duffy that sent Jevin Relaford home and an early 1-0 lead.
 
In the top of the second, the Fighting Knights evened the score with an RBI single by Juan Carlos Cararena for a 1-1 ballgame early. The following few innings entered a battle of starters at the mound as O'Dell rattled off six strikeouts in his five innings of work. On the visiting side, Matt Tiberia had two strikeouts and three walks in his outing, though six Moccasins left on in that span with hits by Duffy, El'Rico Riley, and Bryce Safferwich.
 
In the top of the fifth, Lynn took the lead with an RBI single by Paulino and a 2-1 lead and kept FSC scoreless in the bottom half to climb to a 4-1 lead after another two runs in the top of the sixth. Two singles and an unfortunate error led to two runs on a midfield popup. FSC struggled to get on base and score as the Fighting Knights scored for a third straight inning with two runs and a 6-1 lead off an RBI double and wild pitch.
 
With a five-run deficit, the Mocs had a promising seventh inning with a two-out walk for Safferwich and a single by Duffy, though they were left on to keep a 6-1 Lynn advantage. Evan Mobley, after a tough first two innings pitching in relief, kept Lynn scoreless in the eighth to allow FSC to narrow the deficit with a double by Grady Maguire and following RBI single by Nick Collins for a solo run. Chris McKenna entered as a pinch hitter for Tilden Agee and was walked to have two on base and two outs, though both were left on for a 6-2 LU lead into the final inning.
 
A two-run homer in the top of the ninth extended Lynn's lead to an 8-2 ballgame and six-run inning needed for the Mocs in the home half. FSC had singles by Safferwich and Rohsean Riley and both scored on a throwing error to narrow the deficit, but the game ended with an 8-4 Lynn win.

The Mocs were led by Duffy's three hits for a team total of 10 hits to Lynn's 14. O'Dell was handed the loss with Tiberia his second win of the season. Highlights on the game included four stolen bases by the Mocs, two by E. Riley, and one each for Jevin Relaford and Safferwich. 
 
 The Mocs will wrap up their conference series against Lynn with a doubleheader tomorrow, April 13, set for a 1 p.m. start at Henley Field.
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