MIAMI, FLA.- A season ago, the Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers didn't capture their 15th win of the season until St. Patrick's Day, Wednesday, they picked up their 15th win of 2019 before the calendar turned to March with a 7-1 win on the road at Miami Dade to improve to 15-3 on the year.
It was a pitcher's dual early on between FSW's Rafael Santos and Miami Dade's Gabriel Figueroa. The two matched zeros through the first three innings of the contest to rapidly send the game to the fourth scoreless.
The Bucs struck first in the fourth, using four walks a wild pitch, and a double steal to take a 2-0 lead. Their first hit of the game came on a single from Drake Dobyanski before another wild pitch chased their third run of the inning home to make it a 3-0 game. An RBI groundout from Victor Florentino stretched the FSW lead to 4-0 and the third wild pitch of the frame allowed the Bucs to take a 5-0 lead after three and a half innings of action.
Santos threw up two more goose eggs for the Bucs as they held the 5-0 advantage through five.
The Bucs added to their lead in the seventh as Tommy Joseph singled home Tyler Solomon who led off the inning with a hit to make it a 6-0 game.
Marc Davis worked his second straight scoreless inning out of the bullpen in the seventh to keep the shutout intact and the Bucs in front 6-0 after seven complete.
FSW continued to add to their lead as Thomas Bennett doubled home Florentino in the eighth to make it a 7-1 game and Miami Dade avoided the shutout with a run in the ninth, but it was too little, too late as the Bucs went on to win 7-1.
The Bucs outhit the Sharks 8-5 in the win, getting hits from eight different players on the afternoon. Solomon sparked the offense, reaching base three times from the leadoff spot, scoring a pair of runs for FSW. Santos improved to 3-0, going five scoreless innings, allowing just two hits before handing it over to the bullpen. Davis threw two spectacular innings striking out five before Nate Madej closed things out with a pair of innings.
FSW pushes their already best start in program history to 15-3 while Miami Dade falls to 11-8.
The Bucs are back in action at home on Saturday when they host Pasco-Hernando in a 1 PM first pitch from City of Palms Park in Fort Myers.