LAKELAND, Fla. — Home runs lifted Florida Southern College baseball (4-8) to a thrilling 5-4 victory over the University of Illinois Springfield (5-2) on Sunday at Henley Field.
The Prairie Stars struck first with a sacrifice fly by Blake Daker in the opening inning, pulling ahead 1-0. But Florida Southern responded with authority in the bottom of the second, as
Carson Brady and
Eric Harrison Jr. blasted back-to-back home runs, flipping the script and giving the Mocs a 2-1 edge. It was the first time the Mocs had pulled off consecutive homers since April 27, 2024, when Tilden Agee and
Chris McKenna went yard against Embry-Riddle.
Brady wasn't done there. In the fourth inning, he sent another ball soaring over the fence, marking his second home run of the game and extending the lead to 3-1. The last time a Moc hit consecutive homers in at-bats was when
Ahmad Fitts went deep three times against Eckerd last year. UIS fought back with a two-run homer from Daker, tying the game at 3-3. Florida Southern's defense held firm until the seventh inning when the Prairie Stars managed an unearned run, closing the gap to 5-4.
The sixth inning proved crucial for the Mocs, with
Eli Thurmond and
Adrian Davis driving in runs to bolster their lead. Despite UIS's late efforts, the Mocs' pitching and defense held strong, sealing the victory with a final score of 5-4.
Brady led the charge with two homers, tallying two hits and two RBIs. Harrison added to the offensive fireworks with a home run, collecting two hits, an RBI, and scoring twice. Davis contributed with two hits and drove in two runs.
Ty Bradle threw 84 pitches, 58 for strikes, ending with a WHIP of 1.60.
Heath Clevenger stepped in for 1 1/3 innings, surrendering one run on one hit, with three strikeouts and a walk, securing the win with a WHIP of 1.82.
Casey O'Dell closed the door with 2 2/3 innings, notching three strikeouts and a save, allowing no runs on two hits with a WHIP of 1.36.
Up next, the Mocs head to Winter Park, Florida, to face off against Rollins College on Friday, Feb. 20, with the first pitch set for 2 p.m. at Alfond Stadium at Harper-Shepherd Field.
