MARIANNA, Fla.- For the second time in as many days, the #20 Florida SouthWestern State Baseball team stunned the #3 Walters State Senators, Saturday putting up a six run sixth inning for an 8-4 come from behind win against the 2018 National Runners-Up.
The Bucs got off to a dreadful start against the Senators, giving up two in the 1st on a two-run home run and two more in the 2nd on a pair of errors to fall behind 4-0 to start the game.
They started to claw their way back in the 4th when Jose Marcano doubled home a run to cut the Senators lead to 4-1.
In the 5th they got another run back as Tommy Joseph singled home a run to make it 4-2.
The FSW 6th was a wild one. The Bucs began the frame with three straight singles, including an RBI single from Kalvin Alexander to cut the Walters lead to 4-3. After a strikeout, five consecutive Bucs walked, four of them with the bases loaded, going from down one, to up three in the blink of an eye. Later in the inning, they scored another run without much effort, getting their sixth tally of the frame on a passed ball to put them up 8-4. All in all, after the three singles to start the inning, FSW scored five runs without putting a single ball in play.
Danny Galvan took advantage of a stunned Senators team from there, retiring the side in order in both the 6th and the 7th to slam the door and give the Bucs an 8-4 victory.
The Bucs finished with eight hits in the win, getting two each from Joseph and Marcano who each scored a run and combined to drive home three. Galvan was the star on the mound, throwing three perfect innings of relief to close things out and earn his first win of the season.
Walters will be happy to get back to Tennessee and not have to worry about the Bucs again during the regular season as FSW has now gone 3-0 against the Senators over the past two years despite Walters finishing in the top three in the country at the Juco World Series each of the past two seasons.
#20 FLORIDA SOUTHWESTERN/#3 WALTERS STATE BOX SCORE
The Bucs improve to 5-3 with the win while Walters falls to 4-3.
FSW will take on San Jacinto late Saturday night before taking on tournament host #5 Chipola Sunday morning to wrap up the weekend.