BOX SCORE: G1 | G2
 
PENSACOLA, Fla. – The UWF baseball team finished a tough first weekend of the season on Saturday, dropping both ends of its series-ending doubleheader with Florida Southern.
 
FSC (3-0) took a 5-3, 11-inning decision in the first game before a four-run third inning helped lead the Mocs to a 7-3 win in game two.
 
For UWF (0-3), it is the first time since April 1^st 2012 that the Argonauts have been swept at home in a three-game series. Delta State was the squad to do so, and that Statesmen team eventually advanced to the 2012 NCAA Division II National Championship game.
 
The Argos have not been swept in its home-opening series since Florida Southern took three consecutive contests at Jim Spooner Field in 2007.
 
"Florida Southern has a good team and bottom line, they outplayed us in every facet of the game," said head coach Mike Jeffcoat. "Their pitchers shut us down and we didn't pitch well with a lot of walks. That's uncharacteristic of our program and what we do."
 
Game One: Florida Southern 5, West Florida 3 (11)
 
The Argonauts sent Jackson Smith to the mound for his Argonaut debut, and the Pensacola State transfer performed well over five innings of work, allowing seven hits and two runs with five strikeouts and three walks. After allowing a run in the first, Smith surrendered just two hits in his following four innings of work.
 
Going back out for the sixth, Smith allowed back-to-back bunt base hits before Jarrod Petree took over on the mound for UWF. Petree allowed one of his two inherited runners to score on a bases-loaded walk after striking out each of his first two batters.
 
Trailing 2-0, Argonaut first baseman Justin Ambrosino hit a line drive over the wall in dead centerfield to give UWF its first home run of the season and cut FSC's lead to one.
 
Petree shined in his first outing of 2017, going 4.1 and allowing just two hits and one earned run. The NCBWA Preseason All-American struck out five batters and did not allow a hit to any of the first 13 batters he faced.
 
Down by one in the ninth, Ladeavon Matthews kick-started the rally by ripping a double into the left centerfield gap. Nick Kerkmann and Matt Whetstone, who made his first collegiate at bat, were both hit by pitches to load the bases. FSC's Logan Browning dropped a Trevor Payne fly ball in right field and allowed Matthews to score the game-tying run.
 
Florida Southern struck again in the 10^th, taking a 3-2 lead on a sacrifice fly. UWF was able to tie the game once again in the bottom half of the inning after Nic Strasser was hit by a pitch, stole second, and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Kerkmann was able to bring home Strasser on a sacrifice fly to right.
 
In the ensuing frame, FSC posted a two-spot against Argonaut closer Steve McClellan. Florida Southern shortstop Omar Villaman posted his fourth hit of the game on an RBI double to left and eventually came around to score on a Mitch Reeves double to right center to give FSC a 5-3 lead.
 
UWF went down in order in the bottom of the 11^th to end the ballgame.
 
Matthews was the lone Argo to post a multi-hit game, going 2-for-5 at the plate. UWF left nine runners on base in the contest.
 
Game Two: Florida Southern 7, West Florida 3
 
Trailing 1-0 in the second, UWF took a 2-1 lead with runs from Ladeavon Matthews and Justin Ambrosino, who each recorded singles earlier in the frame.
 
Starting pitcher Brian Browning ran into trouble in the third, allowing four runs on two hits. FSC's Cody Burgess and Omar Villaman started the inning reaching base and Jason Sierra later walked. Logan Browning was hit by a pitch to tie force a run home and the game at 2-2. Florida Southern catcher Evan Barnes cleared the bases in the next at bat with a three-run double to left center.
 
UWF added a run in the fourth from Tanner May's first collegiate hit, scoring his former high school teammate Nic Strasser with the base knock.
 
Cantonment native Trace Penton pitched excellent in his collegiate debut, going 2.2 innings allowing three hits and two runs with two strikeouts. Penton was taken out in the seventh after a walk and a pair of singles loaded the bases, and Matt Whetstone recorded two walks and a strikeout to allow one of his two inherited runners to score. Jared Gonzalez was put into the game and retired each of the two batters he faced to end the top of the seventh.
 
May, Payne, and Tanner Halstead all recorded their first hits as Argonauts in the setback.
 
UWF will travel to Mobile on Wednesday for a midweek contest against Spring Hill before traveling to Winter Park this weekend for a three-game series against another Sunshine State Conference foe in Rollins.
 
For information on UWF athletics, visit GoArgos.com