Box Score: PDF | HTML February 6, 2015 LAKELAND, Fla. – The University of West Florida baseball team played under very poor conditions for its first game of the 2016 season, as rain forced the game to be shortened to six innings. Florida Southern went into the bottom of the sixth down 4-1, however the Mocs strung together a five-run attack to grab the 6-4 victory. Due to the weather, UWF and Florida Southern will now play a double header tomorrow beginning at noon.
Left-handed starter
Brandon Nagem started his 2016 campaign in impressive fashion, striking out all three batters he faced in the first inning. For Nagem's first four innings, he held Florida Southern scoreless while striking out five.
UWF put together a three-run inning in the top half of the sixth.
Nick Kerkmann and
Jean Figueroa recorded RBI singles, while
Kyle Hamner was able to score a run on a wild pitch.
Nagem went back to the mound for the bottom of the sixth after after a long layoff. After a RBI single by Florida Southern second basemen Shawn Sanders, UWF made the move to the bullpen where
Sean Kennedy and
Jarrod Petree finished the sixth inning.
Florida Southern would add another three runs before the end of the sixth, including a two-run home run by Logan Browning.
Nagem completed his first start of 2016 tossing 5.1 innings, surrendering four runs on eight hits while striking out five and walking none. Kennedy was charged with the loss in the setback.
UWF tallied 11 hits in the six innings of action, including two-hit performances from
Ladeavon Matthews, Kerkmann and Hamner. Junior transfers
John Price,
Justin Ambrosino and
Colby Brown all picked up their first hits as members of the program, while sophomore
Nic Strasser recorded his first RBI of the season.
Kerkmann, who ended 2015 on a seven-game hitting streak, extends his streak to eight after a 2-3 performance.
West Florida now awaits tomorrow's double header against the Mocs beginning at noon. Probable starting pitchers for UWF include junior transfer
JT Granat for game one and redshirt junior
Walker O'Connor for game two.
To stay updated on everything concerning UWF baseball, follow the team on Twitter at @UWF_Baseball. For information on all UWF athletics, visit
www.GoArgos.com.
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