FORT MYERS, FLA.- The cardiac kids struck again on Wednesday night as the #9 Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers roared back from a 5-2 deficit to tie the game in the seventh against #19 State College of Florida before walking the Manatees off in the bottom of the ninth on an RBI single from Nathan Kinsch to clinch a series win for the Bucs to open up Suncoast Conference play.
State College of Florida jumped on top early with a first inning run, but the Bucs answered with a run of their own in the bottom half as Tyler Solomon doubled to lead off the inning and later scored on an RBI groundout from Mikey Burke to tie the game at 1-1 after one.
Normally air tight defensively, FSW crumbled in the second, committing a season high three errors to allow the Manatees to score three unearned runs and take a 4-1 lead.
The Bucs got an unearned run of their own in the fourth to make it a 4-2 game, but SCF answered right back with a run in the top of the fifth to push their lead back to three at 5-2.
It remained a 5-2 game to the seventh when FSW came alive. The Bucs loaded the bases without an out and got their first run on a sacrifice fly from Burke to cut the Manatees lead to 5-3. After a strikeout, Nathan Kinsch legged out an infield single to bring home another run and Connor Bagnieski singled on the first pitch he saw to tie the game at 5.
Mason Adams was electric on the mound in the eighth and then again in the ninth as he punched out the side to keep it a 5-5 game as the teams headed to the bottom of the ninth. After a single and a pair of walks to load the bases, Kinsch came up big again, this time with a line drive single to right field to bring home the game winning run as the Bucs walked off the Manatees in the bottom of the ninth with a 6-5 win.
FSW outhit SCF 9-7, getting two hits each from Solomon, Kinsch, and Bagnieski. All five RBI's came from the top of the order with Burke and Kinsch each picking up two and Bagnieski the other in the seventh. Adams was perfect, quite literally, retiring all 10 men he faced in 3 1/3 innings, striking out six of them to earn his team leading fourth win of the season. Rafael Santos started and went 5 2/3 innings before giving way to Adams, allowing seven hits and two earned runs in a no decision.
FSW wins their 20th game to improve to 20-3 overall and more importantly, clinches the series with the Manatees as they improve to 2-0 in Suncoast Conference play. SCF falls to 15-9 overall and 0-2 in league action.
The two will hook back up on Friday in Bradenton to close out the series before the Bucs open their series against South Florida State on Saturday at home at City of Palms Park.