FORT PIERCE, Fla.- The Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers suffered their second straight Southern Conference walk off defeat on Wednesday afternoon in Fort Pierce, battling back late just to see Indian River push across a 9^th inning run for a key 5-4 conference win to begin the final week of the 2023 regular season. 

 

It was all pitching early on as FSW's Isaac Upole matched zeros with Indian River's Jorge DeCardenas through the first two frames. 

 

The Bucs got the scoring going in the 3^rd when Albert Serrano walked and AJ Shaver launched his 16^th home run of the season out to left to give FSW a 2-0 lead. 

 

The lead didn't last long though as Indian River answered right back in the bottom half of the inning with three straight two out hits to push across three runs to take their first lead of the game at 3-2. 

 

Indian River stretched their lead to 4-2 in the 5^th , but the Bucs responded in their next trips to the plate as Shaver singled to begin the FSW 6^th and with one out Derek Williams drilled his 15^th of the season out to left to knot the score at 4 at the end of six complete.  

 

Zach Locke and the Bucs bullpen kept the game right there with three straight scoreless innings, but the FSW offense couldn't muster the go ahead run as it remained a 4-4 game to the 9th. 

 

THe Bucs put two on with one out in the 9th, but again, couldn't come through with the big hit and Indian River did in the bottom half of the inning, getting a one out single with two on to drive home the winning run as the Pioneers flowed onto the field in celebration as the Bucs suffered their second straight walk off loss 5-4.  

 

Shaver and Williams each finished 2-4 with a homer and two RBIs in the loss. Lucas Hartman suffered his first loss of the season, allowing two hits and one run in 1 1/3 innings of work to fall to 5-1 on the year. 

 

The FSW loss sets up a dramatic finish for the Bucs and Pioneers as FSW falls to 28-19 overall and 9-9 in Southern Conference play while Indian River improves to 24-16 and matches the Bucs 9-9 mark in league play with three games left to go in the regular season. 

 

The Bucs will look to get back on the winning track on Friday on the road when they travel South to take on Miami Dade for the final time this season.  The Bucs and Sharks will get things underway at 3:00 PM.