FORT MYERS, Fla.- The #15 Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers used a five run 3^rd inning and a strong showing from their bullpen to come away with an 8-3 win over Gulf Coast State under the lights at Terry Park Friday night.  

 

Gulf Coast took advantage of some wildness on the mound by the Bucs in the 1^st to jump in front 1-0, using a pair of walks, a wild pitch, and a passed ball to get on the board to take the early lead.  

 

FSW responded right away, taking advantage of a Commodore error to plate a pair of unearned runs, executing a double steal to even the score at 1 and then getting an RBI double off the wall from Matthew Corpas to put the Bucs up 2-1.  

 

Both sides breezed through the 2nd, but the same couldn't be said for the 3rd. 

 

With two outs and nobody on, a pair of walks, a hit batter, and another free pass allowed Gulf Coast to tie the score at 2 without having to take the bat off their shoulder.  The Bucs went to the bullpen with the bases still loaded and two outs and Nicholas Regalado came out of the pen and blazed a 96 MPH fastball past the Commodore hitter to end the threat there and keep the game tied at 2. 

 

The tie was broken when Corpas was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 3^rd and FSW wouldn't stop there, adding four more in the frame, highlighted by a two run double down the left field line from Jose Izarra to open up a 7-2 lead for the Bucs.  

 

The teams traded runs in the 5th, sending the game to the 6^th with the score FSW 8 and Gulf Coast 3.  

 

Both teams erased a walk in the 6^th with an inning ending double play to keep it an 8-3 game and Grant Besser came on out of the Buccaneer bullpen and struck out the side to send the game to stretch time with FSW still in front by five.  

 

That would be all the scoring there would be as Besser sailed through another quick inning in the 8^th and Gulf Coast worked out of trouble in the bottom half to keep it an 8-3 game. 

 

The Commodores never threatened in the 9^th as Besser slammed the door for his third save in as many outings dating back to last season, slamming the door on an 8-3 win for the Bucs.  

 

The Bucs needed just seven hits in the win, taking advantage of seven Gulf Coast walks and four Commodore errors in the win.  Ronny Medina was 2-4 with an RBI in the victory while Paxton Tomaini and Hunter Fitz-Gerald both scored a pair of runs.  Regalado earned his first win as a Buc with 3 1/3 innings of relief, allowing just two hits and one run while striking out four.  Besser notched the save with three scoreless frames, striking out five.  

 

The Bucs improve to 2-0 on the early season with the win while Gulf Coast starts their season with a loss to FSW. 

 

Next up the Bucs have a date with Pasco-Hernando at 5:00 Saturday night, once again at Terry Park in Downtown Fort Myers.