FORT MYERS, Fla.- Missing a pair of key bats in the middle of their order, the #12 Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers dropped a pair of two run contests to the Miami Dade Sharks Friday afternoon at Buccaneers Park in Fort Myers, losing a pitcher's dual 4-2 in game one before their comeback came up short 7-5 in game two as they fell out of first place in the Citrus Conference standings for the first time this season. 

 

Drawing his first career start on the mound, FSW's Brandon Gonsalves was locked in early on, retiring the first nine hitters he faced through three innings to keep the game scoreless after 2 1/2.  

 

The Bucs finally broke through in the bottom of the 3^rd as FSW played some small ball and used a pair of defensive miscues for the Sharks to score their first run before Michael McAloose lifted a sacrifice fly to deep left to plate their second run of the inning to put the Bucs up 2-0 after three. 

 

The lead didn't last long though as a leadoff walk and a two run home run for the Sharks in the 4^th leveled the score in the blink of an eye and later in the frame back to back two out hits pushed another run across and put Miami Dade in front for the first time in the game 3-2. 

 

The Bucs offense went quiet over the next two innings as FSW was retired in order in each of their next two at bats while a leadoff walk came back to hurt the Bucs in the 6^th as Miami Dade manufactured a run to pad their lead to 4-2 after six. 

 

The Bucs gave themselves a chance in their final at bats in the 7^th as Evan Kircher tripled and Tripp Landers walked to put the tying runs on base to begin the inning but three straight harmless pop ups after that ended the threat and the game as Miami Dade hung on to take game one 4-2. 

 

The game featured just nine total hits, five for the Bucs and four for Miami Dade. Gonsalves took the loss in his first career start, allowing three hits and three runs in 3 2/3 innings pitched to fall to 5-2 on the year. Alex Walsh was a bright spot on the mound, firing a pair of scoreless frames in relief for FSW. 

 

 

Runs were at a premium again early in game two as the Bucs and Sharks traded missed opportunities in the first three innings as the game remained scoreless as it moved to the 4^th . 

 

Miami Dade cracked the scoreboard first in the top of the 4^th , using a leadoff hit batter and a walk to put two on with nobody out ahead of a three run home run to left to give the Sharks a 3-0 lead on just one hit in the inning. 

 

The Bucs got a run back in the bottom half of the inning as Eric Blair doubled with two outs and Landon O'Donnell knocked him in with his first career hit, an RBI triple off the left center field wall to make it 3-1 Dade at the end of four. 

 

Miami Dade was back at it in the 5th, getting back to back one out doubles to score a pair with FSW avoiding further trouble when a Shark runner missed third base coming around to score a third run to keep it a 5-1 game midway through the contest. 

 

The Bucs put runners on second and third in the 5^th in an attempt to get back into the game, but a pop out to right ended the threat was the Sharks still leading it 5-1. 

 

Miami Dade added to their lead in the 7^th with a two run home run to cushion their lead to 7-1 at stretch time. 

 

The Bucs started their uphill climb back into the game in the bottom of the 7^th as they got runs on a bases loaded hit batter and a sac fly to make it 7-3 before Cooper Clapp snuck an RBI double inside the left field line to get FSW back to within three at 7-4 at the end of seven complete. 

 

FSW reliever Abel Albarran gave the Bucs a chance with a scoreless 8^th and Salvador Alvarez popped his first career home run, a solo shot out to dead center to get FSW back to within two at 7-5. 

 

Albarran put up another zero in the top of the 9^th but the Bucs offense couldn't get anything going in their final at bats in the bottom of the 9^th , going down quietly in order as the Sharks closed them out to take the game 7-5 and the series 2-1. 

 

Alvarez led a nine hit attack for FSW, going 3-4 with a pair of runs scored, missing the cycle by just a triple while Justin Thomas went 2-3 at the top of the lineup and Eric Blair went 2-4 with a pair of doubles in the loss. Jordan Huskey took the loss on the mound for the Bucs, allowing six hits and five runs in 4 2/3 innings pitched to fall to 5-4 on the year. 

 

 

The Bucs fall to 32-18 overall on the year with the sweep while more importantly dropping to 21-9 in Citrus Conference play where they fall out of first place in the league standings for the first time this season. FSW now sits one game behind Indian River with three games left to go in the conference season. Miami Dade takes a big step on securing their spot in the postseason as they improve to 26-22 overall and 18-12 in league play with the sweep. 

 

FSW will look to turn the page on a tough week on Tuesday when they host State College of Florida in a 3 PM non-conference contest at Buccaneers Park in Fort Myers.