LAKELAND, Fla. -- The Barry University softball team (37-11, 18-6 SSC) split a Sunshine State Conference doubleheader with the Florida Southern Moccasins (49-5, 20-4 SSC) to close out their regular season. The Buccaneers won the first game 4-3, but fell in the nightcap, 5-2.

 

Shocking host Florida Southern in game one, Barry managed to jump out to a 3-0 first-inning lead. Shyla Rider (Fr., Woodbridge, Va.) started the first inning for the Bucs with a leadoff double and later scored on Kim Fujimoto's (Sr., Carmichael, Calif.) RBI double. Maile Keeney (Jr., Longwood, Fla.) plated Ashley Loose (Jr., Mill Creek, Wash.) on a RBI sacrifice fly. Finally, Amanda Moore (Sr., St. Louis, Mo.) drove in the Bucs last run of the inning with an RBI single for the 3-0 lead.

 

Michele Tatlock hit a lead off triple in the second inning for Florida Southern and later scored on Leah English's RBI single that cut into the Buccaneer lead, 3-1. Barry reclaimed a three-run lead in the top of the third when Katie Arnone (Sr., Pembroke Pines, Fla.) singled in Megan Vincent for a 4-1 Buccaneer lead. However, the Moccasins continued to fight scoring single runs in the fourth and sixth innings only to fall short in the seventh 4-3 to the Bucs.

 

The Buccaneers scattered six hits and scored four runs, to Florida Southern's nine hits and three runs. The Mocs were led by Jesse Shepherd in the first game who went 2-for-3. Ramie Garcia (Sr., Scottsdale, Ariz.) earned the game one start and went 3.1 innings giving up eight hits, two runs and struck out three. Amber Jack (Fr., Homestead, Fla.) hurled the final 3.2 innings in relief and gave up one run on one hit and struck out three to improve to 13-5. Stacey Bronson (16-3) went only two innings, gave up four runs on four hits and struck out one.

 

With at least a share of the Sunshine State Conference title on the line in the nightcap, Florida Southern secured a 5-2 win to claim the 2006 league title. Earning the start in game two, Jack (13-6) gave up four consecutive hits to lead off the game and the Moccasins scored twice for an early 2-0 lead.

 

In the third inning, the Mocs took advantage of two Buccaneer errors and scored three runs ignited by Jackie Leppla's two-RBI triple. With the Moccasins leading 5-0 heading into the fifth, Barry managed to plate two runs. Moore led the inning off with a single and Brittany Anderson (Fr., Chandler, Ariz.) drew a bases loaded walk to end the Buccaneer scoreless streak. Rider later plated Jackie Godwin (Sr., Tampa, Fla.) with an RBI single, but Florida Southern held on for the 5-2 win.

 

Jack suffered the loss for Barry, but Liz Bennett (Jr., Pembroke Pines, Fla.) hurled 3.1 innings of two-hit shutout relief to finally shut down the Moccasins. Megan Brown (25-2) scattered six hits and gave up two runs, walked two and struck out three to earn the win for Florida Southern. Rider picked up two hits to lead Barry at the plate, while Leppla went 3-for-3 with a double, a triple, and four RBI to lead the Mocs.

 

The Buccaneers end their regular season and the conference runner-up and wait for the NCAA post-season announcement to determine if they will appear in the 2006 NCAA South Regional tournament. The announcement will be made on Sunday night, May 7.

 

 

Barry 4, Florida Southern 3 (04/30/2006 at Lakeland, Fla.) (Game 1)

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Barry............... 301 000 0 -  4  6  0      (37-10, 18-5 SSC)

Florida Southern.... 010 101 0 -  3  9  3      (48-5, 19-4 SSC)

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Pitchers: Barry - Garcia; Jack(4). Florida Southern - Bronson; Chase(3).

Win-Jack(13-5)  Loss-Bronson(16-3)  T-2:10  A-0

Bronson faced 1 batter in the 3rd.

Game: SB0430A

 

Florida Southern 5, Barry 2 (04/30/2006 at Lakeland, Fla.) (Game 2)

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Barry............... 000 020 0 -  2  6  2      (37-11, 18-6 SSC)

Florida Southern.... 203 000 X -  5  9  2      (49-5, 20-4 SSC)

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Pitchers: Barry - Jack; Garcia(1); Bennett(3). Florida Southern - Brown.

Win-Brown(25-2)  Loss-Jack(13-6)  T-2:02  A-175

Game: SB0430B