Box Score LAKELAND, Fla.--- The Minnesota State baseball program suffered its third loss of the 2016 season Sunday afternoon in Lakeland, Fla., against the Moccasins of Florida Southern College.

With the loss, the Mavericks move to 5-3 on the year and will play five more contests before their annual spring trip wraps up.

The eighth-rated Mavericks tallied first when senior Taylor Branstad took advantage of an error committed by the Mocs' first baseman with two outs in the top of the first inning. Sophomore Dylan Dresel followed with a single through the left side while fellow sophomores Josh Wenzel and Luke Waldek walked to plate Branstad.  Florida Southern College combatted with a run of their own in the bottom half when Logan Browning led the Mocs off with an infield single and advanced on a fielder's choice. Jason Sierra followed with  a single through the right side to score Browning and tying the game at one.

The Mocs tallied seven runs in the bottom of the second inning off of Maverick reliever, sophomore Christian Howell. Starting pitcher Josh Matheson faced one batter before leaving the game, giving up an infield single.  Sam Machonis got things going with a homerun over the left-field wall after Kevin Fuller doubled to left center and Browning walked. Jason Sierra and Brugnoni both double after Mitch Reeves reached on a throwing error.  All Three touched home after Shawn Sanders added a triple to center field. Following a Maverick pitching change to junior Bailey Scott, Ryan Frost singled to center, scoring Sanders to cap off the frame's scoring.

MSU tacked on two more in the top of the third starting with a two-out walk by Dresel. with Wenzel following  with a single to right field.  Both were able to touch home after two-consecutive singles to left and right center by Waldek and junior Hunter Harnisch.

Minnesota State kept chipping away with one more run two innings later when Dresel reached on a throwing error and advanced to third base on the mishap in the top of the fifth, eventually scoring on a wild pitch.  MSU added another run tin the top of the sixth as senior Kyle Toth connected for a two-out double down the left-field line and scored on an Eric Peterson single to right, reducing the Mocs' lead to three runs.

FSC increased its lead to 10-5 in the bottom of the sixth inning when Sierra led off getting hit by a pitch.  With two outs, Frost reached on an infield single, moving Sierra to second. Fuller followed with a triple to right center, scoring both runners.

Harnisch led off the top of the eighth inning with freshman Tory Miller coming into pinch run.  Sophomore Ryan Moffett followed by reaching on a second-base error. Miller moved to third after senior Chase Lonetti grounded out and scored on a Toth single to center field for the Minnesota State's last run of the game.  The Mocs scored two more insurance runs off of Maverick freshman reliever Daniel Feneis in the bottom of the inning to cement the game at 12-6.

Offensively, the Mavericks were led by Toth and Wenzel who collected two hits and one run apiece. Waldek added one hit while batting in two.

On the hill, MSU went through four pitchers on the day with  Howell taking the loss (0-1),  throwing 1.2 innings giving up three earned runs on seven Moccasin hits.

Minnesota State will resume play Monday afternoon against Northwood University at 11:00 a.m. EST., in Auburndale, Fla., at Lake Myrtle #3.