Posted: Mar 24, 2023
FORT MYERS, Fla.- The Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers banged out 12 hits and blasted five home runs in a 10-6 win over Eastern Florida State to even their Southern Conference series at a game apiece Friday afternoon at Buccaneers Park in Fort Myers.
The Titans jumped in front quickly, singling on the first pitch of the game and plating a 1st inning run to take a quick 1-0 lead after a half inning of play.
The Bucs answered right away as Anthony Westbrook smacked an RBI double the other way to tie the game and Derek Williams ripped an RBI single down the left field line to drive Westbrook home to put FSW in front 2-1.
FSW starter Kelan Hoover put it on cruise control over the next three innings, working 1-2-3 frames in the 2nd and 4th innings while getting a double play ball to face the minimum in the 3rd to keep the Bucs in front 2-1 after 3 1/2.
Williams added to the Bucs lead in the 4th with a solo shot to begin the inning and AJ Shaver followed suit in the 5th to make it a 4-1 game at the end of five.
Eastern finally broke through against Hoover in the 6th, scoring three times to tie the ballgame at four before fireman Lucas Hartman came in out of the FSW bullpen to extinguish the flames and keep it a 4-4 game at the end of 5 1/2.
For the second time in the game, the Bucs answered after a Titan push as Joel Gardner legged out a two out infield single to extend the FSW 6th and Aries Samek took advantage, lifting a two run home run out to left center field to put the Bucs back in front 6-4.
Hartman was dominant in the top of the 7th, striking out the side to run his consecutive scoreless innings streak to 21 and the Bucs opened things up in the bottom half of the frame as Westbrook and Williams went back to back with one out to blow it open to a 10-4 game as the teams went to the 8th.
The Titans made some noise in the 9th, pushing a pair of runs across and bringing the tying run to the on deck circle, but FSW sidewinder Henry Hardie picked up a big strikeout to close things out and preserve a 10-6 win for the Bucs.
The first four hitters in the FSW order all recorded multi-hit games as Rivera was 2-3 with a double, Shaver was 2-4 with a home run and two RBIs, Westbrook was 2-4 with a homer and three RBIs, and Williams was 3-4 with a pair of home runs and three RBIs. Hartman earned his fourth win of the season out of the FSW bullpen, going two shutout innings and striking out five to improve to 4-0 on the year.
FSW evens the series at a game apiece as they move to 21-12 overall and 5-3 in Southern Conference play. Eastern Florida sees their four game win streak snapped as they fall to 17-16 overall and 3-5 in league action.
The Bucs and Titans will play the rubber game of the three game set Saturday at noon at Buccaneers Park in Fort Myers with the series on the line.
