Posted: Apr 11, 2024
FORT MYERS, Fla.- The #16 Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers launched a pair of home runs in a 15 hit attack to break the program single season team record with 70 long balls on the season in an 11-3 route of the defending National Champion Central Florida Patriots at Buccaneers Park in Fort Myers on Thursday.
The Patriots had the first scoring chance of the afternoon in the 1st as they loaded the bases with two outs, but Bucs starter Landen Burch dialed up a big curveball for a strikeout to get out of the jam and keep it a scoreless game early on.
Central Florida had traffic again in the 2nd and this time they came through, using back to back singles and a sacrifice fly for the game's first run to take a 1-0 lead.
The Bucs leveled the score quickly as Cooper Clapp drilled his seventh home run of the season deep and out to right to leadoff the FSW 2nd and later in the inning Salvador Alvarez legged out a hustle double to center to drive home a run and put the Bucs in front for the first time 2-1.
A solo home run for the Patriots in the 3rd brought the two teams back to square one at the end of 2 1/2.
FSW had a golden scoring opportunity in the bottom of the 3rd as Victor Figueroa singled to lead off the inning and Luca Danos ripped a double down the left field line to put runners on second and third with nobody out for the meat of the Bucs order. The Bucs couldn't get the ball out of the infield from there though with a strikeout and a pair of pop outs on the infield to end the threat without the runners moving as the game remained tied at 2 after three.
History was made to start the FSW half of the 4th as Eric Blair lined a solo shot over the right field wall for the Bucs 70th home run of the season, a new program record, while giving them a 3-2 lead. With history behind them they continued to push as Michael McAloose lined a single to left and moved into scoring position on a sac bunt from Alvarez before Justin Thomas drilled a single to right to bring him home to put the Bucs ahead 4-2 after four.
The Patriots got a solo home run to lead off the 5th to make it a one run game once again, but the Bucs answered immediately as Jared Davis hooked an RBI double down the left field line and scored later in the inning on Alvarez's second RBI single of the game to push the Bucs lead to 6-3 at the end of five complete.
Nate Ward came in out of the FSW bullpen and worked a quick 1-2-3 top of the 6th and got the Bucs right back to the dugout where they scored three times without a hit after loading the bases with nobody out, getting a wild pitch and a pair of sac flies to cushion their lead to 9-3.
The Bucs put the game to bed in the 7th as Figueroa drove home Justin Thomas with an RBI single and then scored on a bases loaded walk to Davis later in the inning to kick in the run rule as FSW took the opener against the Patriots 11-3 in seven. The run from Thomas gave him 63 on the year, breaking the FSW single season record for runs scored in a campaign.
The Bucs banged out 15 hits in the win with Danos and Clapp registering three apiece while Davis and Alvarez each went 2-3 and combined for five RBIs for FSW. Burch went five strong innings on the mound for the Bucs to earn his third win of the season before handing the ball over to Ward who retired all six batters he faced for his first career save.
The Bucs earn their 30th win of the season as they improve to 30-14 overall and 19-6 in Citrus Conference play while Central Florida falls to 25-18 overall and 3-2 in league action.
The Bucs and Patriots will conclude the series in Ocala on Saturday when they play a doubleheader beginning at noon.