BRADENTON, FLA.- The #9 Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers needed extra innings, but they got it done, completing a sweep of #19 State College of Florida Friday night with a 9-3 win in 11, the program's first Suncoast Conference sweep in history.
FSW got on the board first in the third inning as Nathan Kinsch drew a bases loaded walk and Warner Rincones ripped a two out RBI single to give the Bucs a 2-0 lead after three.
SCF got a two out RBI single of their own in the fourth to cut the lead in half, but the Bucs answered with a tally in the sixth on a shot from Jose Marcano to push their lead back to two at 3-1.
It remained a 3-1 game to stretch time when the tides turned. The Manatees saw their first five hitters of the seventh reach base, scoring a pair to knot the score at 3. Thankfully for FSW, Thomas Haggerty came out of the bullpen to put out the fire, striking out a pair and stranding the bases loaded to keep the score tied.
The Bucs put two on but couldn't score in the eighth and SCF loaded the bases without avail to keep the game tied to the ninth.
Both teams were retired quickly in the ninth to send the game to extra innings knotted at 3.
For the second straight inning, the Bucs went down in order in the 10th, but Haggerty matched it on the mound for FSW to finish off his fourth inning of work.
That's when the Bucs broke out. FSW pounded out four straight hits to begin the 11th, getting a two run triple from Marcano and an RBI single from Morales to give them a 6-3 lead. They weren't done there. Later in the inning after a walk and a hit batter loaded the bases for the Bucs, Kinsch slashed a double to center to clear the bases and blow the game wide open at 9-3.
The blow dashed the Mantees spirits and FSW finished them off in the bottom of the inning to wrap up the series sweep with a 9-3 win.
The contest featured 25 hits, 13 for FSW and 12 for SCF. Marcano was the offensive star for the Bucs as he finished 2 for 5 with a double, a triple, and three RBI's while Kinsch drove home four runs of his own in the win. Haggerty earned his second win of the season, going a season high four shutout innings out of the bullpen, allowing just one hit while striking out five.
FSW improves to 21-3 on the year and 3-0 in Suncoast Conference action while SCF falls to 15-11 and 0-3 in league play.
The Bucs will be right back at it on Saturday when they open their second conference series of the year at home when they take on South Florida State in a 1 PM first pitch from City of Palms Park in Fort Myers.