Softball Splits Midweek Doubleheader to Hillsdale

LAKELAND, Fla. - The Florida Southern College softball team rallied to earn a split in a midweek doubleheader as they fell just short in eight innings against Hillsdale College, 1-0 in game one, but came back in game two to defeat the Chargers (11-8) 5-4 in game two.
 
Shelbie Valencia led the way for the Moccasins (6-22), going 4-for-7 on the day with an RBI and a run scored. Cat Buckner finished 2-for-3 in game two, and two runners batted in. In the circle, Kayla Hickey (2-5) earned the win, pitching just two innings with one strikeout and allowing no runs on just two hits. Amanda Lieberman got the start, going five innings, allowing just two earned runs, and striking out two. 
 
FLORIDA SOUTHERN 0, HILLSDALE 1
A game that was scoreless until the end that sent it into extras had totaled 13 hits between the two teams as Florida Southern finished with six but was not able to get a run across the board. 
 
Both teams opened with solo shots in the first inning as Kate Mikle singled to lead off the Mocs in the bottom of the first. The next hit for FSC did not come until the bottom of the third as Kiera Morris and Valencia had back-to-back singles to open the inning, but the Chargers pitcher sent the next three batters back to the dugout with strikeouts, leaving the Mocs in scoring position. 
 
Bottom of the fourth, Gabby Young hit a one out single to left center field and advanced to second with a stolen base, but was also left stranded in scoring position as the game remained scoreless. Valencia had her second hit of the game, singling through the right side, but another runner was stranded as neither team could put a run on the board. 
 
Valencia singled again through the same right-side hole in the bottom of the seventh, but FSC could not bring her in as the game headed into extras. Hillsdale took advantage in the top of the eighth, leading off with a single and a stolen base to quickly get into scoring position with no outs. Another single for the Chargers moved the leadoff batter 90 feet from home, where she scored on a sacrifice fly to take a 1-0 lead and win game one. 
 
FLORIDA SOUTHERN 5, HILLSDALE 4 
In the top of the second, the Chargers attacked first, leading off with a single to right field. Hillsdale quickly put runners in scoring positions, threatening at second and third. With two outs, the Chargers take a 2-0 lead, scoring from a single up the middle. 
 
In the top of the third, Hillsdale makes it a 3-0 game with another two-out scenario, scoring from an RBI single to right center field. 
 
With the Moccasins down 3-0 at the bottom of the fourth, back-to-back singles from Mikle and Morris allowed FSC to put runners on and in scoring position for Valencia. Valencia continued her hot batting from game one and hit a single to right center field to bring in Mikle and cut the lead to 3-1. Florida Southern took advantage of a Chargers error to cut the lead down to 3-2 before tying the game with an RBI single from Buckner to score Valencia and make it 3-3. 
 
A sacrifice fly in the top of fifth allowed Hillsdale to take the lead back, but FSC rallied in the bottom of the sixth with a leadoff double from Kelly Keating. The Mocs tied the game from a one-out RBI single from Buckner and later took the lead with an RBI single up the middle from Gabby Young to score Shelby Savitt, putting the Mocs on top 5-4. 
 
In the top of the seventh, the Chargers tried to come back, but the Mocs defense held Hillsdale scoreless as FSC won game two to split the doubleheader. 
 
Florida Southern returns to Sunshine State Conference action on Friday, March 14, as they host Eckerd College in a single game. The first pitch is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.
 
 
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