Posted: Apr 04, 2024
GAINESVILLE, Fla.- The Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers bats continued their onslaught of Citrus Conference pitching, ripping eight extra base hits, including four home runs, two from Nate Earley, to blow past the Santa Fe Saints 16-10 in game one of their three game conference set Thursday in Gainesville.
The Bucs got on the board right away as they loaded the bases without having to swing the bat in the top half of the 1st with a hit batter and a pair of walks before a sacrifice fly from Nate Earley gave them an early 1-0 lead on Santa Fe.
The Saints answered right away, needing just two batters in their first at bats to take their first lead of the afternoon as they began their ups with a double and a two run home run to go in front 2-1 at the end of one.
The Saints lead didn't last long as the Bucs loaded the bases with no outs for the second straight inning in the 2nd before Justin Thomas walked to force home a run and tie the game at 2. After Santa Fe recorded an out on an infield fly, Luca Danos cleared the bases with a double to left to put the Bucs up 5-2 and two batters later he trotted home when Cooper Clapp launched his sixth homer of the season to make it a 7-2 game. They weren't done yet though as Eric Blair drove home a run with an RBI single and Thomas drew his second bases loaded walk of the inning to bring another run home to put FSW up 9-2 at the end of an inning and half.
It looked like it would remain a 9-2 game through three, but a dropped fly ball by the Bucs with two outs in the 3rd allowed the Saints to continue their inning and they made them pay as they plated four runs after the miscue to get right back in the game at 9-6 after three action packed innings to start the ballgame.
Blair smacked a solo home run with two outs in the 4th to make it a 10-6 game, but Santa Fe answered right back with two runs of their own in the bottom of the inning to cut the Bucs lead to 10-8 after four.
The merry go round continued in the 5th as Danos drew a two out walk to extend the Bucs half of the inning and scored when Earley drilled a 2-2 pitch up and out of the yard to put FSW in front 12-8 midway through the contest.
Things finally settled down over the next inning and a half as the Bucs held their four run lead as the game moved to the 7th.
The Bucs padded their lead in the 7th as Earley smacked a single back up the middle to drive home a run and later in the inning he scored on a groundout from Jared Davis to make it 14-8 FSW.
Santa Fe got back to within striking distance in the 8th with a two run home run to cut the Bucs lead to 14-10.
Earley continued his big day with a solo home run to lead off the FSW 9th and Thomas legged out a two out infield single to bring home another run to add some insurance and make it 16-10 Buccaneers as the teams went to the bottom of the 9th.
A pair of free passes made things interesting in the bottom of the 9th but Bucs closer Brandon Gonsalves left both runners stranded at inning's end to close things out and give FSW a 16-10 win in a wild game one of the three game set.
The Bucs banged out 13 hits including eight extra base hits in the win while taking advantage of 15 free passes from Santa Fe pitching on the afternoon. Earley continued to swing a red hot bat with his eighth straight multi-hit game and fifth multi-RBI game in the Bucs past seven, going 3-5 with a pair of home runs and five RBIs in the win. Danos went 3-4 with two doubles and three RBIs while Blair finished 2-4 with a homer and two RBIs. Nate Ward threw a scoreless 5th inning to earn the win on the mound for the Bucs while Gonsalves earned his fourth save of the season, going 1 2/3 scoreless frames to finish things off.
FSW wins their fifth straight to improve to 27-13 overall and 17-5 in Citrus Conference play to retake the top spot in the league standings while Santa Fe falls to 22-16 overall and 12-10 in league play where they are now just one game clear of the cut line for the 2024 FCSAA State Tournament next month.
The Bucs and Saints will reconvene Saturday in Fort Myers when they play a doubleheader beginning at noon at Buccaneers Park.