Baseball | 4/27/2003 9:07:00 PM
Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 LAKELAND, Fla. -- The Barry University baseball team was edged by the #3 Florida Southern Mocs (37-9, 12-5 SSC) 5-4 in the first game of a Sunshine State Conference doubleheader earlier today. The Buccaneers (17-31-1, 3-14 SSC) also fell in the nightcap 11-8.
In game one, Matt Mecurio rocketed a solo home run in the first giving the Mocs an early 1-0 lead, but
Jerry Thornton singled in a run in the top half of the second tying the game at one apiece. Junior pitcher
Chris Casale shutout the Mocs over the next five innings, while the Bucs scattered nine hits in the and scored three more runs taking a 4-1 heading into the seventh.
The Mocs narrowed the gap to two in the seventh then Jeff Lucas evened the score in the eighth with a two-run homer. Everett Jones hit the game-winning solo home run in the ninth as the Mocs won the series opener 5-4.
Casale (2-4) hurled 7.1 innings and gave up four runs on seven hits while striking out five.
Alex Gonzalez (4-4) suffered the loss for the Bucs hurling the final inning and giving up one run. Reliever Gabe Rio (5-0) earned the win for the Mocs in one inning giving up one hit and striking out two.
Keith Barton gave the Buccaneers an early 1-0 lead in the first inning of game two with an RBI single, but the Mocs scored seven runs in the second and third innings to retake the lead 7-1. Down 11-6 heading into the final inning,
Billy Zoffinger hit a two-run homer to narrow the game to three, but that was all the Moc hurlers would allow as the Bucs fell 11-8 in the final.
Jon Sandola (3-6) suffered the loss in the nightcap giving up five runs on six hits in 2.1 innings of work. Nick Diyorio (7-0) earned the win for the Mocs giving up six runs on nine Bucaneer hits and struck out two.
Zoffinger went five-for-eight with three doubles, a home run, three RBI, and scored three times to lead the Bucs offensively.
Cesar Aranguren followed going four-for-eight. Barton was also perfect at the plate going four-for-four in the nightcap.
The Buccaneers will return to action for the final game of the three-game series on Monday, Apr. 28 at 12 noon.
