Florida Southern survived three elimination games, then rallied from four runs behind in the semifinals and five runs down in the championship game to claim a record ninth Division II Baseball Championship title June 4.

The Moccassins defeated cross-state rival North Florida, 12-9, in the tournament final at Riverwalk Stadium in Montgomery, Alabama, after trailing, 8-3, entering the third inning.

Florida Southern fought back one last time, just as it had throughout the tournament, scoring three runs in the third and again in the sixth to take a 9-8 lead. North Florida tied the game in the bottom of the sixth, but the Moccassins took the lead for good in the seventh on a triple by Alexy Hernandez -- one of the team's seven extra-base hits in the game -- and a run-scoring single by Nick Diyorio.

Florida Southern reliever Dan Albritton then held the Ospreys scoreless on one hit through the final three innings, while the Moccassins added two insurance runs in the ninth.

"This was just an amazing performance by an amazing team," said Florida Southern coach Pete Meyer. "They could've quit at any point in this thing. But they never did. That's the way they've been all year. They just won't quit."

The Moccassins spent nearly the entire tournament on the brink, falling behind top-ranked Central Missouri State in the first inning of its opening game in Montgomery and ultimately losing, 5-2.

Florida Southern rebounded by shutting out Cal State Chico in the first of its elimination games, then saw one of its own few big leads of the tournament nearly get away as West Virginia State fought back from a 5-0 deficit before losing, 6-5, to the Mocs. That set up a rematch with Central Missouri State.

The Mocs beat the Mules, 5-3, to ensure a semifinal showdown between those same two teams a day later.

Florida Southern managed three runs through 6 2Ž 3 innings against Division II's winningest pitcher, Danny Powers, who had picked up his 15th victory in the opening win over the Moccassins. But Central Missouri State scored five runs in the fourth inning and held a 5-3 lead entering the eighth.

However, the Moccassins rallied for five runs in that inning against Central Missouri State reliever Nick Webber, who already had notched two saves in the tournament, and advanced to the final against North Florida.

The final result: just another comeback, but this time, it earned Florida Southern its first title since 1995.

"We weren't down at all," said Mocs shortstop Geoff Strickland about North Florida's early 8-3 lead. "We had got down like that to Central Missouri. I think that game helped us a lot. (Second baseman Matt Mercurio) called us together and we had a team meeting. We had to win every inning. And that's what we did."

The comeback spoiled an otherwise flawless performance in the tournament by North Florida, which advanced through its bracket at Montgomery unbeaten in its final season before reclassification to Division I.

"I'm just heartbroken for my team," said North Florida coach Dusty Rhodes, whose squad still posted its best finish in the championship. "We're a good enough team to win this, but you have to credit Florida Southern. They played an outstanding game. We just couldn't get those guys out today."

Florida Southern and North Florida each placed four players on the all-tournament team. Moccassins reliever Kyle DeYoung, who appeared in all four of his team's games before the final and picked up three saves as well as the semifinal win, was named the tournament's most outstanding player.

Game 1

Rusty Rayborn, Brent Leach (9) and Craig Newton; Kristopher Krise, Nick Bryant (7) and Trever Weedon. W -- Rayborn. L -- Krise. S -- Leach. A -- 1,424.

Game 2

Dan Albritton, Brett Robinson (7), Kyle DeYoung (7) and Jeff Howell; Danny Powers, Nick Webber (8) and Brent Lacy. HR -- Jeff Howell (Fla. Southern), Shawn Callahan (Central Mo. St.). W -- Powers. L -- Albritton. S -- Webber. A -- 1,475.

Game 3

Grant Payton, Nathan McCrory (4), Sean McLeod (7) and Nick Smith; Zachary Baldwin, Justin Clyde (9) and Jonathan McDowell. HR -- Joshua Miller (West Virginia St.). W -- Baldwin. L -- Payton. A -- 1,250.

Game 4

Jacob Dixon and Jonathan Hodach; Matt Hennessey, Joe Vingo (5), Jared Rohrig (9) and Joe Pagan, Jon Jacobs. HR -- Jon Skorupski (North Fla.), Sadry Café (North Fla.). W -- Dixon. L -- Hennessey. A -- 1,292.

Game 5

Tim Thompson, Reid Horton (7), Nick Burger (8) and Trevor Weedon; Joe Walczak, Brett Robinson (6), Kyle DeYoung (7) and Jeff Howell. W -- Walczak. L -- Thompson. S -- DeYoung. A -- 1,295.

Game 6

Josh Outman, Nick Webber (9) and Brent Lacy; Brad Lightsey, Brent Leach (8) and Craig Newton. HR -- Will Bradley (Central Mo. St.). W -- Outman. L -- Lightsey. S -- Webber. A -- 1,476.

Game 7

Jeff Farrell, Dan Stone (8) and Joe Pagan; Jeremy Dow, Nathan McCrory (6) and Nick Smith. W -- McCrory. L --Stone. A -- 1,281.

Game 8

Marc Atkins, Christopher Shores (5), Joshua Grueser (7), Jon Karsos (7), Joe Loncar (8) and Jonathan McDowell; Ryan Amason, Josh Papelbon (8) and Judd Loveland, Jonathan Hodach. W -- Amason. L -- Grueser. S -- Papelbon. A -- 1,283.

Game 9

Jeff Sinicki, Sean McLeod (6) and Nick Smith; Justin Smith, Drew Nanney (2), Tyler Brewer (3), Bryan Williamson (6) and Craig Newton. HR -- Scott Allen (Grand Valley St.). W -- Sinicki. L -- Smith. S -- McLeod. A -- 1,315.

Game 10

Brian Reves, Brett Robinson (6), Kyle DeYoung (6) and Jeff Howell; Nicholas Biron, Andrew Davis (7), Joe Loncar (9) and Jonathan McDowell. HR -- Alexy Hernandez (Fla. Southern), Ryan Taylor (West Virginia St.). W -- Reves. L -- Biron. S -- DeYoung. A -- 1,387.

Game 11

Kyle Aylor, Jared Incinelli (5), Josh Papelbon (7) and Jonathan Hodach; Grant Payton, Joe Finnerty (8) and Nick Smith. W -- Incinelli. L -- Payton. S -- Papelbon. A -- 855.

Game 12

Jason Schutt, Mike Phelps (2) and Brent Lacy; Dan Albritton, John Milton (8), Kyle DeYoung (9) and Jeff Howell. W -- Albritton. L -- Schutt. S -- DeYoung. A -- 1,062.

Game 13

Ken Wadsworth, Brett Robinson (4), Ryan Callahan (4), Kyle DeYoung (7) and Jeff Howell; Danny Powers, Nick Webber (7), Patrick Evers (8), Dustin Bolton (8) and Brent Lacy. HR -- Jeff Howell (Fla. Southern.), Cole Armstrong (Central Mo. St.). W -- DeYoung. L -- Webber. A -- 1,231.

Championship game

E -- Strickland, Mercurio. LOB -- Fla. Southern 9, North Fla. 7. 2B -- Strickland, Howell, Mercurio, Hernandez, Howard 2, Cafe. 3B -- Strickland, Hernandez, Calderone. HR -- Knowles. HBP -- Grogan, Skorupski 2. SH -- Mercurio. SF -- Diyorio, Hernandez. SB -- Strickland.

W -- Milton. L -- Amason. Save -- Albritton. WP -- Reves. HBP -- by Walczak (Grogan), by Reves (Skorupski 2). Umpires -- Home: Mike Sadowski; 1B: Mike Baker; 2B: Randy Bachman; 3B: David Brown. T -- 3:29. A -- 1,464.