DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Late home runs by the Florida Southern College baseball team were not enough as the Moccasins lost 13–4 against Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Sunday afternoon at Sliwa Stadium.
The Mocs (14-28, 8-16 SSC) gave up 10 runs in the first three innings as ERAU left a lead too great to overcome in the final innings. The Eagles (27-17, 13-11 SSC) gave up home runs to
Nick Collins and
El'Rico Riley in the final three innings but held off a majority of the scoring in the 13-4 conference series sweep of the Mocs.
After a quick three outs for the Moccasins in the opening inning, ERAU scored three runs in the bottom of the first off a bases-loaded walk, error, and fielder's choice RBI. Despite the three runs off two hits, starter
Logan Adams and the FSC defense left two Eagles on base to prevent further runs.
In the bottom of the second, the Eagles added another run by an RBI double, before FSC cut into the deficit with two runs in the top of the third. An HBP for
Rohsean Riley and a single by
Jevin Relaford had two runners on for
Brady Doorey to notch a big RBI double and send R. Riley home. An infield groundout by E. Riley sent Relaford home for the second run and a 4-2 ERAU lead into the home half of the third.
Five hits and six runs led to a difficult inning for the FSC defense in a 10-2 ERAU game through three innings. The Eagles scored five runs before FSC made a pitching change for
Mitchell LeRoy to help get three outs and a sixth run of the inning. The Mocs had a single by Relaford in the fifth, but an RBI single for the Eagles extended the ERAU lead to nine runs.
Neither team scored in the next inning as Collins had a leadoff homer in the top of the seventh inning to make it an 11-3 ERAU game, which was moved to 12-3 after a sacrifice fly in the bottom half by the Eagles. E. Riley had a solo homer in the top of the eighth inning for the fourth run by the Mocs, which would be the end of the scoring for FSC. An RBI groundout in the bottom of the eighth by the Eagles ended the game with a 13-4 final for ERAU and a series sweep of FSC.
Adams was handed the loss for the Moccasins, with FSC relief from LeRoy,
Lucas Perez, and
Jake Curry. The pitching staff combined for 10 walks and four HBP in the game as Harley was credited with his second win of the season for Embry-Riddle. Collins and Relaford led the team with two hits each, for a team total of seven, compared to 14 by ERAU at the plate.
The Mocs will take on Rollins College next weekend as the last road series of the regular season with a single game on Friday, May 3, set for a 5 p.m. start at Alfond Stadium.
