Posted: Apr 25, 2024
FORT MYERS, Fla.- The Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers made three errors, costing them five unearned runs in an 8-4 loss to the Polk State Eagles Thursday afternoon at Buccaneers Park in Fort Myers. The defeat puts the Bucs hopes for a Citrus Conference Championship on life support, but on the positive side, a Miami Dade loss to Eastern Florida locks up no worse than a second place finish for the Purple and Aqua with two games left to go.
The Bucs and Eagles traded 1st inning runs to get things going as Polk got a two out solo home run while FSW got doubles from Justin Thomas and Luca Danos to get on the board and make it a 1-1 game at the end of one.
The Bucs took their first lead of the game in the 2nd when Jared Davis launched a solo home run to left to lead off the inning and put them in front 2-1.
The Bucs gave the run right back on a pair of errors in the 3rd as a failed pick off put a runner in scoring position with one out and an errant throw across the diamond on a ground out gifted the Eagles a free 90 feet and a run to tie the score at 2.
FSW got out of a huge jam in the 5th as Polk loaded the bases with nobody out before a strikeout and an impromptu double play on an interference call at second base kept the Eagles off the board and the game tied at 2 midway through.
The Bucs took advantage in the bottom of the 5th as Thomas banged his third double of the game ahead of a towering two run home run from Victor Figueroa to put FSW back ahead 4-2.
The lead didn't last long though as another key error allowed Polk to extend the inning and the Eagles made it hurt with a sacrifice fly that would have ended the inning followed by a three run home run to center to put them back in front 6-4 at the end of six.
The Polk bullpen shut the Bucs down from there, firing three straight hitless innings while the Eagles added a pair of insurance runs in the 9th to finish off an 8-4 win to punch their ticket to the postseason.
FSW finished with nine hits in the loss, six going for extra bases. Thomas went 3-5 with three doubles and a pair of runs scored while Danos was 3-4 with a double of his own. Landen Burch suffered the loss on the mound, allowing seven hits and five runs, just one earned, in 5 1/3 innings pitched to fall to 4-3 on the year.
The Bucs drop their fourth Citrus Conference game in their last five outings as they fall to 33-19 overall and 21-10 in conference play. The loss puts FSW two games back with two to go in their quest for the inaugural Citrus Conference Championship. The good news for FSW on Thursday was Eastern Florida's upset win over Miami Dade to sew up a top two finish for the Bucs, giving them a home series in the Region VIII Playoffs beginning next weekend at Buccaneers Park in Fort Myers. Polk State punches their ticket to the postseason with the win as they improve to 33-21 overall and 18-13 in league action.
FSW and Polk will go at it again on Saturday in Winter Haven when they play a doubleheader at 1 PM to wrap up the 2024 regular season.