LAKELAND, Fla. - The Florida Southern College softball team returned home to Chris Bellotto Field for a week full of games as they opened up play with a doubleheader split against Southwest Minnesota State University on Tuesday afternoon.
The Moccasins (5-21) won game one with a 3-0 shutout pitched by
Amanda Lieberman (1-5) before falling to the Mustangs (16-8) in game two, 7-0.
FLORIDA SOUTHERN 3, SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA STATE 0
In game one, it was quiet until the bottom of the fourth when
Shelby Savitt led off with a double to left center field to quickly get into scoring position for the Mocs. Bushnell moved Savitt 90 feet with a sacrifice bunt, but a fielder's choice kept Savitt from scoring as she was thrown out at home.
With two outs and Lieberman and
Morgan Roden on first and second,
Gabby Young singled to the shortstop, using her speed to beat out the throw and load up the bases for
Kate Mikle. Mikle singled to right field for a 2RBI single, scoring Roden and Lieberman to give FSC a 2-0 lead.
Keira Morris added to the Mocs lead with an RBI single to short as the Mocs took a 3-0 lead after four complete innings of play.
Florida Southern was able to keep the lead without allowing the Mustangs to score as Lieberman earned her first collegiate shutout, pitching a complete game allowing six hits and earning one strikeout. The Mocs had seven hits on the night, led by Mikle and
Shelbie Valencia, with Mikle bringing in two runners and Morris with one.
FLORIDA SOUTHERN 0, SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA STATE 7
A game that started quite differently than the first saw quick action in innings one through five as the Mocs first hit came in the bottom of the fourth with a bunt to the pitcher that put Morris on first base. Morris moved into scoring position from a sacrifice bunt from Valencia but was stranded at second with the game still scoreless.
Bushnell led off in the following inning with a single to left center field, as she also moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt, this one from
Cat Buckner. With just one out, Bushnell would be stranded as well, and the Mocs headed into the top of the sixth with no runs on the board.
The Mustangs hit back-to-back singles with just one out to get a runner in scoring position. With runners still at first and second, a fly out gave the Mocs two outs with a runner still threatening at second base. With two outs, the top hitter for SMSU, Paris Van Dyke singled to right field bringing in the runner at second and putting runners on the corners. Designated player Brynn Webber hit an RBI single to score the runner at third as the Mustangs took a 2-0 lead in the top of the sixth.
Southwest Minnesota found their momentum and kept it through the remainder of the game, leading off with a double to left center field to quickly get a runner in scoring position. A Moc error scored the runner to make it 3-0, and the Mustangs continued to capitalize on the Mocs errors, scoring from an RBI single, two Moc errors, and a triple to score three more runs and close the game 7-0.
Florida Southern returns to action tomorrow with another doubleheader as they host Hillsdale College. The first pitch is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. on Chris Bellotto Field.
