LAKELAND, Fla. – The Kentucky Wesleyan College baseball team struggled to get its offense going on Tuesday night, dropping an 8-1 decision to nationally ranked No. 4 Florida Southern College.
The Mocs took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the season with a one-out triple and a RBI ground out.

Wesleyan responded with a run of their won in the top of the third.  With two outs, Ben Wilcoxson knocked a single through the left side.  Cody Bridges drove him home with a hard hit double down the left field line.

Florida Southern extended its lead to 3-1 in the bottom of the second.  The Mocs threatened in the bottom of the fifth with two runners in scoring position but Lane Kennemore made a nice grab on a line drive at second to end the inning.

In the bottom of the sixth the Mocs strung together five hits to plate five runs and break open the game at 8-1.  The Mocs threatened again in the bottom of the seventh after a leadoff triple but Spencer Jackson worked out of the jam with a strike out and forcing a fly out and ground out.  Taylor Grider worked a one-two-three inning in the bottom of the eighth with a fly out, strike out and pop out.

Jones suffered his third loss of the season, striking out two and allowing six runs and nine hits over 5.1 innings.  Jackson went 1.2 innings with three hits and one run.

Joe Burke was two-for-four at the plate while Bridges, Wilcoxson and Ethan Maxey recorded one hit.  Bridges tabbed the lone RBI for the Panthers while Wilcoxson scored the one run.

Wesleyan closes out its Florida trip with two more games at Florida Southern.  First pitch is set for 5 pm CT on Thursday and 12 pm CT on Friday.

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