LAKELAND, Fla. – The No. 6 Florida Southern College baseball team completed the series sweep with doubleheader wins against Palm Beach Atlantic University on Saturday afternoon at Henley Field.
The Moccasins (30-8, 14-4 SSC) dominated both games of the doubleheader, scoring a combined 31 runs over the two games, setting a new season-best with 20 runs scored in the series finale. The Sailfish (14-21, 7-14 SSC) were plagued by errors (8) in the series finale, leading to a 20-7 loss. FSC won game one of the day 11-4, tallying six extra-base hits.
In addition to the series sweep, the Moccasins set a new program record for stolen bases in a single season, eclipsing the previous record set in 1998 of 167 stolen bases in 58 games. After today's doubleheader, the 38
th game of the season, the Mocs sit at 171 stolen bases, leading all Division II programs.
GAME 1: FLORIDA SOUTHERN 11, PALM BEACH ATLANTIC 4
The Mocs opened the game with a three-run inning, led by a run scored on a Sailfish balk.
Ahmad Fitts then had a big two RBI double to score
Rohsean Riley and
Noah Rabin for the 3-0 score in the first.
Jevin Relaford then had a solo homer, his second of the season, in the bottom of the second inning to extend the lead to four runs. The first score by PBA was an RBI single by Green, though FSC kept the runs going with another two runs over the fourth and fifth inning to take a 6-1 lead through five innings.
The Sailfish staged a rally with three runs scored in the top of the eighth on two RBI doubles and a single RBI for a 6-4 FSC lead. Florida Southern responded with five runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to take an 11-4 lead.
Grant Thoroman led with his second sac fly of the day, followed by an RBI double by Rabin, two RBI triple by Fitts, and then a run scored on a passed ball for the seven-run lead.
Robert Tracy III entered for the final inning to retire all three batters and prevent any additional runs for the 11-4 game one win.
Jordan Fox started the game, earning his second win of the season on 7.2 innings pitched and five strikeouts.
GAME 2: FLORIDA SOUTHERN 20, PALM BEACH ATLANTIC 7
Florida Southern had another big start in the series finale, scoring six runs over the first two innings. The Sailfish were first to score, however, on an RBI groundout by Green. The Mocs then scored two on RBI singles by
Mikey Scott and Rabin in the first inning, 2-1. FSC had four runs scored in the bottom of the second, starting with a bases loaded walk drawn by
Brady Doorey. Relaford then had a two RBI single, and a sac fly by Thoroman, his third of the day, for the 6-1 lead. PBA responded with a four-run inning in the top of the third, with all four runs scored after a costly two-out error by the Mocs. However, the Mocs quickly extended its lead, starting with an RBI single by
Chris McKenna in the bottom of the third, 7-5.
The Mocs' lead moved to seven runs after a five-run inning in the fourth, the first run scored off an RBI single by Thoroman, 8-5. Thoroman then stole second, the second SB of the game by FSC, to break the single season record of stolen bases in FSC history with 168 and counting. Thoroman eventually scored on an RBI single by Fitts, followed by an RBI double by
Wyatt Campbell. The final two runs of the fourth were off a costly fielding error by PBA, bringing the score to a 12-5 FSC advantage.
Logan Adams continued to keep PBA scoreless in the fourth and fifth inning as FSC had a three-run homer by Rabin, an RBI single by
Colby Brewington, and a wild pitch for a 17-5 score through five innings. The Sailfish scored two runs in the sixth to cut into the deficit, though FSC added three runs in the bottom of the sixth to take a 20-7 lead.
Jorge Santana III and
Josh Hines had RBI hits to score the runs, and
Ethan Breslin handled the final inning in the 20-7 win, called at seven innings.
The Mocs will travel to Boca Raton next weekend to take on Lynn University on April 17-18.
