LAKELAND, Fla. - The Florida Southern College softball team fell in a heart breaker to open the weekend as they dropped the opening doubleheader to Valdosta State University with a 5-0 loss before rallying to a 10-8 final on Chris Bellotto Field on Friday evening.
The Moccasins (1-3, 0-0) had two hits in game one, but in game two, it was led by
Kate Mikle going 3-for-4 from the plate with a triple, two RBIs, and one run scored. Five other Mocs had two hits, including
Emma Lucchesi,
Jadyn Bushnell,
Alissa Kessler,
Shelbie Valencia, and
Kelsey Kadlub.
FLORIDA SOUTHERN 0, VALDOSTA 5
The Blazers came out hot, leading off with a double to center field, and moved to 90 feet away from scoring with a bunt. With runners on the corner, Valdosta scored to take a 1-0 lead in the first inning. They added another run with a bases-loaded walk to take a 2-0 lead.
In the top of the fourth, the Blazers added two more insurance runs with a leadoff single and a 2 RBI homer over the left-center field fence to make it 4-0. In the bottom, the fifth
Keira Morris hit a leadoff single to get the first hit on the board for FSC. In the following inning, Lucchesi singled to the shortstop to beat it out at first, but that was the last hit the Mocs could bring together in the first game. Valdosta hit an RBI triple to increase their lead to 5-0 as game one went to the Blazers.
FLORIDA SOUTHERN 8, VALDOSTA 10
FSC got the scoring going early as the bottom of the first saw four runners cross home plate. Bushnell got the bats alive on a one-out single to second, moving around the bases into scoring position from a Kessler single. Bushnell and Kessler moved into scoring position from a Blazer wild pitch, as Valencia hit an RBI single to put the Mocs on the board first.
Keira Morris stepped to the plate with a 1-0 lead and runners in scoring position, hitting an RBI single to score Kessler.
With the Mocs up 2-0 and two outs, Kadlub hit a deep single to left center, scoring Morris and Valencia to take an early 4-0 lead.
Florida Southern's lead was short-lived as Valdosta stepped to the plate in the top of the second. With one out, the Blazers loaded the bases and scored on an RBI double, sacrifice fly, and RBI single to come within one run, 4-3. With two outs now, Valdosta took a 5-4 lead, scoring on a two-run RBI single to center field.
Florida Southern tied the game in the bottom of the third, scoring on a fielder's choice, 5-5. The game remained tied until the bottom of the fifth when Mikle hit a triple to right center field and scored to take the lead on an RBI single from
Morgan Roden to take a 6-5 lead.
In the following inning, Valdosta led off with a single scoring on an RBI single to tie the game and quickly took the lead from a sacrifice fly to end the inning with a 7-6 advantage. In the bottom of the inning, the Mocs rallied back to take the lead, opening the bottom of the sixth with a leadoff single. Valencia loaded the bases for Mikle, and on a two-out single batted in Valencia and
Jenna Meder running for Kessler to take back an 8-7 lead.
In the top of the final inning, Valdosta led off with a double to left center field and loaded the bases with walks, bringing in two runs on bases-loaded walks to tie the game and take the lead, 9-8. The final run came across an RBI single to take a 10-8 lead for the Blazers.
The Mocs tried to fight back, putting runners in scoring position, but game two went to Valdosta State 10-8.
The Mocs return the action tomorrow, Feb. 8, for a doubleheader against Alabama Huntsville. The first pitch is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. on Chris Bellotto Field.
