FORT PIERCE, FLA.- Mitch Myers went seven strong innings and Jose Marcano drove in four as the Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers remained unbeaten in 2019 with an 8-2 win over Indian River State Friday afternoon.
It was a scoreless game through two when the Bucs struck first. After loading the bases to begin the third, FSW took a 3-0 lead as Jose Marcano cracked a bases clearing double to center to give the Bucs the early lead. Later in the inning Shamir Morales singled to left to bring Marcano home and stretch the lead to 4-0.
Indian River got on the board with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the inning, but that is all they would get off of FSW starter Mitch Myers as he settled down, retiring six of the next eight to keep it a 4-1 game.
The Bucs took advantage of the zeros in the bottom half of the frames, packing on three more in the top of the sixth, getting a pair of bases loaded walks to force home runs and an RBI groundout from Nate Kinsch to stretch their lead to 7-1.
Myers threw two more scoreless and quickly the game went to the eighth with the Bucs still in front 7-1.
The Pioneers picked up a run in the eighth off the Bucs bullpen, but FSW got it back in their next at bats with a two out RBI single from Marcano and that is the way it would end as the Bucs improved to 9-0 on the season with an 8-2 win over Indian River.
The Bucs outhit Indian River 13-4 in the win, getting three hits and four RBI's from Marcano and three hits apiece from Morales and Mikey Burke to lead the offense. Myers was solid on the bump, cruising through seven innings on just 78 pitches, allowing three hits and just one run to earn his second win of the year.
FSW improves to 9-0 with the win while Indian River drops to 3-4-1.
The two teams will hook up again on Saturday in Fort Myers with first pitch scheduled at 1 PM at City of Palms Park.