Posted: Feb 11, 2024
FORT MYERS, Fla.- The A3 Trojans tried to sneak through Fort Myers in their wooden horse on Saturday but they were discovered and made to pay for it by the #16 Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers as FSW crushed the Trojans 16-2 and 17-1 in a pair of run rules in non-conference action to improve to 6-5 on the year.
The Bucs wasted little time jumping all over the Trojans in the 1st inning of game one as they plated seven runs in the bottom of the frame, highlighted by a bases clearing double from John Long and an RBI triple from Michael McAloose to take a quick touchdown lead after one.
A3 got on the board for the first time in the top of the 2nd and threatened for more, loading the bases on a pair of hit batters and a walk, but FSW lefty Jordan Huskey worked his way out of the jam with a big strikeout to keep the Bucs in front 7-1.
The Bucs continued to pour it on in the 2nd as Nik Pereira smacked a two run triple to left and scored on an A3 error to put FSW in front 10-1 after two.
After a fast and furious start, things settled down until the 5th when the Trojans picked up a two out RBI single to make it a 10-2 game.
The Bucs answered right away as McAloose chalked up his second extra base hit of the afternoon to leadoff the FSW 5th and scored on a sacrifice fly from Evan Kircher to make it an 11-2 game. Two pitches later Nate Earley crushed a two run home run deep and out to right to extend the lead to 13-2 at the end of five complete.
The scoring continued for FSW in the 6th as Jared Davis drove home a run and Salvador Alvarez doubled home two more to make it a 16-2 game as the teams went to the 7th.
After Landen Burch worked a 1-2-3 top of the 7th to send the game to stretch time, the teams decided they had had enough and the game was halted due to the run rule with the Bucs taking game one 16-2.
The Bucs banged out 11 hits in the win led by Earley who finished 2-2 with a homer and two RBIs while also walking twice. McAloose was 2-3 with a double, a triple, and three runs scored atop the FSW lineup. Huskey earned the win, punching out a career high seven over 3 2/3 innings pitched while Burch picked up a save with 3 1/3 innings of three hit ball to close things out.
It was more of the same for the Bucs in game two of the twinbill as Earley ripped an RBI single through the right side in the bottom of the 1st to get them on the board right away up 1-0.
Bucs starter Landon O'Donnell made the lead stand through the top of the 3rd as he struck out the side around a pair of walks to keep it a 1-0 game in favor of the Purple and Aqua.
FSW opened things up in the bottom of the inning as Victor Figueroa singled to right to drive a run home and Pereira followed suit to make it 3-0. Later in the inning Alvarez lifted a sac fly to left center to bring home FSW's third run of the inning to up their lead to 4-0 after three.
Adam Dowler worked a quick top of the 4th for the Bucs on the mound and the FSW offense continued to pack on the runs in the bottom of the frame as Luca Danos crushed a two run home run to left and Figueroa roped an RBI double into the gap in right center to make it 7-0 Buccaneers at the end of four.
A3 got their lone run of the game with a one out double in the 5th to break up the shutout and make it a 7-1 game.
The Bucs got that back and then some in the bottom half of the inning though as Kircher unloaded on his first career home run, a two run shot over the batting cages in left field to make it 9-1 before FSW tacked on four more tallies later in the frame to make it a 13-1 contest.
The Bucs put a bow on it in the 6th as Danos tripled to the wall in right and scored on a wild pitch before Pereira finished his big day with a three run bomb to the deepest part of the park to make it 17-1.
After some discussion between the two sides, the game was called due to darkness with FSW taking it 17-1.
The Bucs finished with a season high 17 hits with seven different players notching multi-hit games. Pereira was 2-3 with a homer and a career high five RBIs in the win while Danos and Justin Thomas combined to go 6-7 with eight runs scored at the top of the FSW lineup. O'Donnell earned the win on the mound, yielding just one hit in three shutout innings while striking out five to improve to 2-1 on the year.
The Bucs run their winning steak to three to push over .500 for the first time this season at 6-5 while A3 remains winless against junior college competition at 0-4.
The Bucs have one more tuneup before Citrus Conference play begins when they host New College of Florida in a 1 PM battle Tuesday at Buccaneers Park in Fort Myers.
