Posted: Mar 16, 2024
FORT MYERS, Fla.- The #18 Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers didn't make it easy Saturday afternoon at Buccaneers Park in Fort Myers, but they did enough to earn a doubleheader split against the visiting Seminole State Raiders to win their Citrus Conference series 2-1 to remain in first place in the conference standings at the midway point of the conference schedule.
Things didn't get off on the right foot in game one for the Bucs as Seminole came out swinging in the top half of the 1st, launching a pair of home runs to take a 3-0 lead before FSW got to hit for the first time.
Seminole could have had more in the second, but the Raiders ran themselves out of the inning, getting picked off twice, including one to end the inning and keep it a 3-0 game after two.
The Bucs took advantage of some Seminole defensive miscues in the 3rd as they put a pair on before executing a double steal and then plating their first run on a Raider error to make it a 3-1 game. One batter later a booted ground ball allowed the Bucs to push another run home to make it a one run game at 3-2 at the end of three.
FSW used some more generosity from the Raiders in the 4th to go ahead for the first time as Seminole walked the first two Bucs of the inning before Jared Davis ripped a two run double down the left field line to put FSW up 4-3 at the end of four.
The Bucs added some insurance in the 6th as Cooper Clapp singled through the right side to drive home a run and Justin Thomas did the same later in the frame to make it 6-3 FSW as the game went to the 7th.
Just when it looked like the game was in the books and the Bucs were going to be gunning for a sweep in the series finale, the Raiders came to life in the 7th. A hit batter and a two run home run quickly made it a one run game at 6-5 and a walk and a single for the Raiders put the tying and go ahead run on base with one out in the frame. After a strikeout and a wild pitch moved the runners up 90 feet before a single shot through the left side tied the game at 6. It looked like that would be the end of it as Seminole sent a high fly ball into left field for what looked to be the third out of the inning, but the Bucs lost the can of corn in the sun and it dropped to allow another Seminole run to score to allow the Raiders to take the lead 7-6. One batter later a double down the right field line plated two more and just like that the Bucs went from 6-3 up to 9-6 down in a half inning's time.
The Bucs put their leadoff man on in the bottom of the 7th, but they couldn't bring the tying run to the plate as three straight fly outs ended the inning and the game as Seminole finished off a stunning 9-6 win to even the series at a game apiece.
Seminole outhit FSW 14-6 in the contest with Thomas the lone Buc to record a multi-hit game, finishing 2-4 with a run scored and an RBI. Brandon Gonsalves suffered the loss out of the bullpen, allowing five hits and four runs in 2/3 of an inning pitched to fall to 4-2 on the year.
The Bucs cracked the scoreboard first in game two as Cooper Clapp launched a two run moonshot with one out in the 2nd to put FSW ahead 2-0 early.
The Bucs worked out of a jam in the top of the 3rd to keep it a 2-0 game, but it didn't stay that way for long as Thomas cracked a solo shot out to dead center to start the FSW 3rd to make it 3-0 Bucs at the end of three.
Seminole got a solo home run of their own in the 4th to get on the board for the first time and picked up a pair of hits to start the 5th inning to score a run to cut the FSW lead to 3-2 midway through.
A walk and a hit batter helped set the table for the middle of the Bucs order in the bottom of the 5th and Victor Figueroa took advantage with an RBI single to the gap to pad the lead to 4-2. A wild pitch allowed the Bucs second run of the inning to score and with two outs in the frame Nate Early launched a two run bomb to right center to make it a 7-2 game in favor of the Bucs after five.
The Bucs went to the bullpen in the 6th but it provided little relief as Seminole scored six times on four hits and a pair of walks to turn a 7-2 FSW lead into an 8-7 Seminole lead after 5 1/2.
After two quick outs in the FSW 6th Davis doubled for the second time on the day and scored when Thomas singled to the left center field gap to level the score at 8 after six.
Former Buc Johnnie Lopez put Seminole back on top with a home run to lead off the 7th but his former teammate Nate Earley matched him with a solo homer of his own in the bottom of the inning to tie the game back up at 9 as the teams went to the 8th.
Bucs reliever Nate Ward dialed up just what the doctor ordered in the top of the 8th , working a 1-2-3 frame and the FSW offense rewarded their righthander with three runs in the bottom half of the inning, getting an RBI single from Thomas and then back to back bases loaded hit batters to make it 12-9 Bucs after eight.
With the lead in his back pocket, Ward finished off the Raiders in the 9th , working around a two out walk with a strikeout to close things out in style and give the Bucs the game 12-9 and the series 2-1.
Eight of nine Bucs starters had a hit in the win. Thomas finished 3-5 with a homer and three RBIs, Earley was 2-4 with a pair of longballs and four RBIs and Davis was 2-3 with a double and three runs scored. Abel Albarran gave the Bucs a quality start, going five innings and scattering five hits and two runs but did not factor in the decision. Ward earned the win out of the bullpen, finishing the game with 3 1/3 innings of work, striking out a career high seven to improve to 2-0 on the year.
The Bucs move to 20-10 overall on the year with the win while pushing their Citrus Conference record to 11-4 where they are tied with Indian River for the top spot in the league after five conference series. Seminole goes to 17-13 overall and 6-9 in league play with the split.
FSW goes back on the road Tuesday when they make the trip up the coast to Bradenton to take on State College of Florida before returning to Citrus Conference play Thursday at home against Eastern Florida State.