LAKELAND, Fla. - The Florida Southern College softball team splits its season opener against Georgia Southwestern on Saturday afternoon on Chris Bellotto Field. The Moccasins (1-1) fell in game one 5-0 but bounced back in game two for a 4-0 shutout with freshman pitcher
Des Aitken (1-0) in the circle for her collegiate debut.
FSC had three batters open the season batting 500 as
Alissa Kessler and
Shelbie Valencia went 3-for-6, and freshman
Keira Morris went 1-for-2, also in her collegiate debut. Valencia went a perfect 3-for-3 in game two with two runs scored while Morris followed with two RBIs.
FLORIDA SOUTHERN 0, GEORGIA SOUTHWESTERN 5
Game one got out to a slow start on both ends only having one hit until the top of the fourth. That is where the bats came alive for the Hurricanes as they scored on an RBI double to left field for a 1-0 lead.
The Mocs first hit of the season came from Kessler leading off the bottom of the fourth with a single to the shortstop, running to beat out the throw at first. In the top of the fifth, GSW scored on a two-out double that increased their lead to 2-0 with two innings left to play.
A three-up, three-down inning for the Mocs gave the Hurricanes the momentum in the top of the sixth as they rallied on another two-out play for back-to-back singles before
Amanda Lieberman came in to relieve for
Ella Torres. Georgia Southwestern hit two more singles scoring on both as their last hit was a 2 RBI single that increased its lead to 5-0.
Florida Southern tried to come up with two out rallies of their own but game one went to the Hurricanes.
FLORIDA SOUTHERN 4, GEORGIA SOUTHWESTERN 0
Game two started similar to the first as no runs came across home plate until the fourth inning this time in favor of the Mocs. Kessler also got the hitting going in the bottom of the fourth with another leadoff single, this one through the left side.
Jenna Meder stepped in to pinch run, moving around the bases into scoring position on a Valencia single, who advanced to second on the throw. With no outs and runners in scoring position,
Kate Mikle hit an RBI double to right center field, scoring Meder to take a 1-0 lead.
Kelsey Kadlub brought Valencia home from 90 feet, scoring on a sacrifice fly for a 2-0 lead to close the fourth inning. A three-up, three-down inning for Aitken and company as the Mocs looked to the bottom of the fifth where they tacked on two additional insurance runs. Kessler's bat stayed hot with a one-out single, and Valencia followed suit as both moved around the bases and into scoring position off a wild pitch by the Hurricanes.
Morris came to plate looking for her first collegiate hit and singled to center field bringing in Kessler and Valencia for a 4-0 lead.
GSW tried to rally in the top of the seventh on a lead-off single, but two pop-ups and an Aitken strikeout earned the Mocs the first win of the season.
In the circle, Aitken and Torres both earned six strikeouts, as Aitken pitched 103 pitches in seven complete innings allowing just three hits.
Florida Southern returns to action Friday, Feb. 7 as they open up a three-day weekend of games. The Mocs first pitch is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. against Valdosta State on Chris Bellotto Field.
