Sharks Too Much as Mocs Fall 18-10 in Series Opener

LAKELAND, Fla. – The Florida Southern College baseball team lost its opening match against Nova Southeastern University by an 18-10 score on Friday night at Henley Field.
 
The Mocs (14-23, 8-11 SSC) outhit NSU but were unable to hold off free bases in a tough conference loss. The Sharks (20-15, 10-9 SSC) capitalized on 18 free bases from walks and HBP to rack up four-plus runs in three different innings in the opening match win.
 
Lake Fisher had the start for FSC and quickly retired his batters, including a double play to end the inning. The Sharks started Collin Rothermel, who matched the three outs in the first to end the inning with a 0-0 score. A tough outing in the second inning as four runs were scored by NSU off two hits and three HBP. A bases-loaded walk scored the first run for the Sharks and a following groundout and RBI double scored the final two runs of the inning.
 
A leadoff double by Rohsean Riley in the bottom half of the second showed promise, but two strikeouts and a pop-up left R. Riley stranded on second with a 4-0 NSU lead. The lead for the Sharks was extended to six after back-to-back sacrifice flies in the top of the third.
 
The first runs for the Moccasins came in the bottom of the third as lead-off singles by Chris McKenna and Jevin Relaford put two on base. A deep flyout by El'Rico Riley advanced runners into scoring position, and both were brought home by a centerfield single by Bryce Safferwich to narrow the NSU lead to 6-2 through three innings.
 
In the top of the fourth inning, NSU added another run off a sacrifice fly to take a 7-2 lead. Rothermel kept the Mocs scoreless in the bottom half of the inning to allow NSU to score six runs in the top of the fifth inning off just three hits. Wild pitches, HBP, and walks plagued FSC in the inning with relievers Wyatt Clark and Zach Smith on the mound to end the inning with a 13-2 NSU lead.
 
A two-out double by Safferwich in the bottom fifth was the only change for the Mocs, though unscored, as NSU added yet another free run off a bases-loaded walk in the top of the sixth inning for a 12-run deficit for the Mocs. Pitching in relief for the Mocs, Rhett Raymer kept the Sharks scoreless in the seventh inning, the first instance over the previous five innings.
 
In the bottom of the seventh, the Mocs exploded with seven hits and five runs. McKenna and Relaford led the inning with back-to-back singles and E. Riley was walked to load the bases with no outs. For the second time of the night, Safferwich was at-bat to bring home two runs off a right-field single and no outs. A strikeout was the first out, though Jaiden Warde had an RBI single, followed by an RBI single by Nick Collins to add the fourth run of the inning to that point. With the third pitching switch for NSU, Brady Doorey hit the third consecutive RBI single to keep the bases loaded and deficit cut into half. Back-to-back strikeouts over the next two batters ended the inning for a 14-7 NSU lead.
 
Another four-run inning for the Sharks in the top of the eighth extended the NSU lead to 11 runs for an 18-7 game. Looking to match in the home half, FSC had a leadoff walk and back-to-back singles to load the bases with no outs but only managed one run, still down by 10 into the final inning.
 
In the top of the ninth, Jake Curry relieved Raymer for three outs in four at-bats, including a strikeout for a tall task and 10 runs for the Mocs to tie. Mocs had singles by McKenna and Relaford in the bottom ninth, and an RBI single by E. Riley brought home one score and Safferwich sent in his fifth RBI of the day with his fifth hit. Two runs were all the Mocs could score in the final inning to end the game with an 18-10 final.
 
Florida Southern outhit Nova Southeastern 19-to-11, though 11 walks and seven HBP from the mound led to high-scoring NSU innings. The Mocs were led by Safferwich with five hits, a team-high for 2024, and five RBI on the day. McKenna and Relaford each had three hits, with another host of Moccasins with two hits. Fisher was handed the loss and Rothermel a win, his sixth on the season.
 
The Mocs will take on the Sharks for game two of the series tomorrow, April 20, set for a 3 p.m. first pitch at Henley Field.
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