MARIANNA, Fla.- One thing the 2020 version of the Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers Baseball team has taught us early in the season is, you better not leave the ballpark early, no matter what the score is.  For the third time in two days, the Bucs mounted a furious late game comeback Saturday night, erasing a 6-3 ninth inning deficit against national power San Jacinto, to tie it in their final at bats and then win it 7-6 in extra innings on a walk off single from Tommy Joseph at 1:05 Sunday morning. 

 

The Bucs were first to strike late Saturday night as Tommy Joseph singled with one out in the FSW 1st and stole second before scoring on an RBI single from Jared Campbell to give them an early 1-0 lead.  

 

San Jac quickly tied the score in the 2nd, sending a towering home run into the night to draw the Gators even at 1-1.  

 

The early action continued in the Bucs half of the 2nd as Matthew Corpas ripped an RBI double to put FSW back in front and Drake Dobyanski laced a single up the box to score him to make it 3-1 Bucs after two.  

 

The lead wouldn't last long though as a two out, two run single for the Gators in the top of the 3rd knotted the score back up at three.  

 

FSW went back in front in the 4th, using a single, a walk and a pair of stolen bases to push back ahead 4-3.  

 

Again the Gators answered though, getting into the FSW bullpen and scoring four times in the 5th to take a three run lead at 7-4.  

 

For a moment, it looked like the big inning took the wind out of the Buccaneers' sails as despite their bullpen keeping the Gators big bats in check through the middle innings, their offense went quiet as the game remained 7-4 all the way to the 9th. 

 

Needing three runs and with only three outs to work with, the Bucs got off to a good start in the 9th as their first four hitters of the inning reached base, including an RBI single from Joseph to cut the lead to 7-5.  Two batters later, an RBI groundout made it 7-6 and that's when the Bucs got tricky.  With runners on first and third and one out, FSW took 'Bucs Ball' to another level, pulling out a trick play to allow Joseph to steal home and tie the game at 7 to send the game to extras. 

 

The do it all man Joseph then took to the mound for the Bucs, striking out the side in the top of the 10th to give FSW a chance to win it in the bottom half.  

 

Dobyanski began the inning with a single and moved to second on a stolen base. A walk and a hit batter loaded the bases for the Bucs, and brought who else, but Joseph to the plate with a chance to win it.  Like every fairy tale, the hero always wins and this case was no different as Joseph singled through the hole on the right side, bringing Dobyanski home and giving the Bucs their third walk off win of the week 8-7.  

 

The Bucs banged out 17 hits in the win, with five players recording multi-hit days.  Joseph stole the show, going 5-6 with 2 RBIs, 2 stolen bases, and 2 runs scored while also earning the win on the mound with his scoreless 10th.  Campbell and Corpas each had 3 hits and an RBI for FSW while Jose Marcano reached base four times with 2 hits and 2 walks while also stealing 2 bases in the win.  While he didn't factor into the decision, Brendan Koester kept the Bucs in the game in the middle innings out of the bullpen, going 4 2/3 innings, allowing just 2 hits and 2 runs while striking out 6.  

 

#20 FSW improves to 6-3 on the year with the win while San Jac falls to 5-3, all three of their losses coming in one run affairs to FCSAA squads over the weekend.  

 

The Bucs busy and treacherous weekend schedule continues Sunday when they square off with #5 Chipola Sunday at noon.