Sunday,
March 3, 2002
#3 FLORIDA SOUTHERN COMES FROM BEHIND TO DEFEAT PRESBYTERIAN 11-10 IN BASEBALL ACTION
CLINTON, SC – The Presbyterian College baseball team was defeated by the Moccasins of Florida Southern 11-10 today at the PC baseball complex. Florida Southern improves to 13-1 on the season while the Blue Hose fall to 7-11.
Florida Southern put up two runs in the first inning as junior third baseman Jeff Lucas (Lutz, FL) walked and later scored on a throwing error. Senior rightfielder Justin Hancock (Valrico, FL) came around to score on junior first baseman Logan Roberts’ (Tampa, FL) RBI single to centerfield to take a 2-0 lead. The Blue Hose responded with two runs of their own in the bottom of the first inning highlighted by an RBI double by sophomore rightfielder Kevin White (Spartanburg, SC) and an RBI single by junior designated hitter Kenny Campbell (Roswell, GA) to tie the game at 2-2.
The fourth inning saw the Moccasins get three runs as Roberts led off the inning with a homerun down the leftfield line and Lucas’s two-RBI single to score teammates sophomore shortstop Kyle Kelly (Lakeland, FL) and junior leftfielder Jared Powers (Lakeland, FL) to give Florida Southern a 5-2 advantage.
The Blue Hose would respond in the bottom of the fifth inning with seven runs. Senior leftfielder Keagan Broussard (Virginia Beach, VA) hit a two-RBI bases load double to leftfield. Junior first baseman Matt Warren (Lexington, SC) added a two-RBI double of his own to right center. White hit a two-run homerun to left center field and junior second baseman Tombo Hite (Abbeville, SC) added a solo homerun to left to give the Blue Hose a 9-5 lead.
Florida Southern answered back in the top of the sixth as Hancock had two-RBI doubled to centerfield to score freshman second baseman Matt Mercurio (Avon Park, FL) and Kelly to cut the PC lead to 9-7.
In the top of the seventh inning, Florida Southern took the lead for good. Powers’ grounded out to second base to score teammate senior designated hitter Dan Chamberlain (Merritt Island, FL). Kelly had an RBI doubled to center field and would later come around to score on sophomore centerfielder Gilbert Martinez’s (Miami, FL) RBI single to take the lead 10-9. The Moccasins added an insurance run on Mercurio’s triple to score Martinez to take a 11-9 lead. PC would answer with one run in the bottom of the seventh as Campbell grounded out to shortstop to score White to make it an 11-10 game.
Leading the way for the Mocs was Lucas (3-for-5, 2 RBI), and Roberts (3-for-5, 2 RBI). For PC, White was 3-for-4 with three runs scored and three RBI.
Junior pitcher Richard Barkley (Sumter, SC) started the game and went five strong innings allowing five runs on eight hits and striking out five batters. Junior pitcher Kurt Hitzeman (Americas, GA) recorded the loss as he throw one and one-third innings giving up six runs on six hits. Picking up the win for Florida Southern in relief was sophomore pitcher Ryan Thompson (Lakeland, FL). He threw one and one-third innings allowing two runs on two hits. Starting pitcher junior Justin Smetana (Huntsburg, OH) threw five and one-third innings allowing seven runs on eight hits. Senior pitcher Cory Perkins (Lakeland, FL) recorded his second save on the season as he went three strong innings allowing only one run on one hit.
These two teams will meet again on Tuesday, March 6 at 3:00 pm due to only playing one game today.