#20 Mocs Sweep Saturday Doubleheader Over Wayne State

LAKELAND, Fla. – The No. 20 Florida Southern College baseball team swept the Saturday doubleheader against Wayne State University at Henley Field, now with a 3-0 series record in this weekend's games.
 
The Moccasins (22-5, 7-2 SSC) outlasted WSU in the first game of the series in a back-and-forth matchup, eventually winning 8-6. The Warriors (9-13, 0-0 GLIAC) had a hot start in game two of the day with a 5-0 lead, though the Mocs shutout WSU for the remainder of the game to win 13-5 and sweep of the day.
 
GAME 1: FLORIDA SOUTHERN 8, WAYNE STATE 6
Neither team scored in the first two innings, with a solo run in the bottom of the third by FSC the first score of the day. A sac fly by Mikey Scott brought home Jevin Relaford as that run, a 1-0 FSC lead through three. The Warriors tied in the next half inning with an RBI single up the middle from Sanders, 1-1. In the fifth inning, the Mocs had a big RBI triple from Scott and a sac fly by Grant Thoroman to go up 3-1. The lead was short-lived as the WSU took the lead in the sixth inning off a solo homer by Hatzigeorgio and a two-RBI single by McGuire.
 
Florida Southern tied the game in the bottom sixth off a double steal with runners at the corners, advancing Rohsean Riley home, 4-4. Mocs then took the lead in the bottom of the seventh with an RBI single by Noah Rabin, 5-4. The FSC lead was extended to four runs off back-to-back bases-loaded walks, and a sac fly by Scott, his second of the game. WSU cut into the deficit in the top of the ninth with a two-run homer by Tuccinardi, but the Mocs held on with an 8-6 game one victory.
 
The win was credited to BJ Rivera, his second of the season, after relieving starter Jordan Fox. Rivera went three innings with three strikeouts and was later relieved by Casey O'Dell, who threw the final two outs for his first save of the year. Nazelli from WSU was handed his first loss of the season, giving up five runs in his 6.2 innings pitched.
 
GAME TWO: FLORIDA SOUTHERN 13, WAYNE STATE 5
A very different start to the final game of the day with a 5-0 deficit through two innings for the Mocs. The Warriors had five runs scored, including back-to-back bases-loaded walks and a two-run homer for a 5-0 WSU lead. The runs scored in the first two innings by WSU were the only runs scored by the Warriors, as the Mocs had 13 unanswered runs to win the game. Scott opened with an RBI single, followed by RBI singles from Relaford, Cleary Simpson, and Ahmad Fitts as FSC took the lead in the fourth inning, 6-5. FSC continued to rack on the runs with more RBI hits from Simpson, Chris McKenna, Rivera, and Relaford through the sixth inning, 11-5. Late subs led to an RBI single by Brady Doorey and a sac fly by Adrian Davis in the eighth to give FSC the 13-5 eventual win.
 
After a tough first two innings on the mound from starter Brandon Jung and Evan Mobley, Logan Adams entered and had 3.2 scoreless innings of work with seven strikeouts for his second win of the season. He was relieved by Robert Tracy III, Austen Kessler, and David Butz for the final five innings, allowing a combined two hits and no runs scored for the team win.
 
The Mocs will wrap up their four-game series tomorrow, March 23, with a 1 p.m. first pitch at Henley Field.
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