Bulldogs Open Season With 23-8 Loss
Box Score

Top-ranked Florida Southern ran its season-opening winning streak to 10 straight games with a 23-8 win over Bryant Friday night at Lakeland.  The Bulldogs, ranked 28^th in Division II, were playing their first game of the season.

The Moccasins’ Fred Popp had four hits, scored five runs and drove in eight, while Nick Diyorio had five hits and scored four runs, as Florida Southern pounded out 20 hits, including four home runs, and scored in every inning but the second.

The Bulldogs’ roughed up Moccasin starter Dan Albritton with nine hits and seven runs in four innings and were tied 7-7 going to the bottom of the fourth before Florida Southern chased Bulldog starter Matt Gayner.  In addition to giving up 20 hits, Bryant pitchers walked 12.  Jason Alexander, Nick Tucarella and Adam Rourke each had three hits for the Bulldogs and Alexander drove in four runs.

Ken Wadsworth pitched three innings in relief of Albritton to earn his second win of the season for the Moccasins.

The second game of the three-game weekend series will be played this afternoon (Sat.) at 2 p.m. at Henley Field.

Bryant              041 200 100 - 8-12-2

FSC                 304 454 21x - 23-20-3

Matt Gaynor, Mike Upton (4), Brian Fioretti (7), Luke Cowan (7), Jordan Copes (8) and Nick Tucarella.

Dan Albritton, Ken Wadsworth (5), Joey McDaniel (8), John Petika (9) and Jeff Howell.

WP: Wadsworth (2-0).  LP: Gaynor (0-1).

2B: FSC - Nick Diyorio 2, Fred Popp, Matt Joyce.  3B: FSC - Jeff Howell.  HR: FSC - Geoff Strickland (2), Popp (2), Matt Mercurio (3), Jason Peacock (1).

T: 3:13.  Att.: 122.

Records: FSC 10-0, Bryant 0-1.