MIAMI, FLA.- The #9 Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers won their final non-conference game of the season Wednesday night in Miami, getting a pair of RBI's from Tommy Joseph and a solid pitching effort from seven different arms to win 2-1 over Miami Dade and improve to 29-8 on the year.
The Bucs struck right off the bat, getting a one out double from Connor Bagnieski and an RBI single from Tommy Joseph in the first to give FSW an early 1-0 lead.
The Bucs pitching kept things right there as Jesse Ferreira posted two perfect innings and Rafael Santos did the same behind him to keep it a 1-0 game through four.
Miami Dade finally broke through against the Bucs in the sixth with a two out single to score a run and tie things up at one.
Neither team could get anything going in the seventh, but the Bucs broke the tie in the eighth, again behind a big hit from Joseph who ripped a one out single to right to score Drake Dobyanski who singled to leadoff the inning, putting FSW on top once again 2-1.
That is all the Bucs would need as the bullpen worked out of trouble in the eighth and stranded the tying run on base in the ninth with a pair of strikeouts to close things out to give FSW a 2-1 win to take the season series over the Sharks 4-1.
The two sides combined for just 12 hits in the contest, seven for FSW and five for Miami Dade. Joseph was the offensive star for the Bucs as he finished a perfect 3 for 3 with both runs driven home while Dobyanski had two hits and a run scored at the top of the FSW order. The Bucs pitching staff was strong in the win as six of seven arms posted goose eggs, striking out 10 and walking just one collectively. Marc Davis earned the win with 1 1/3 innings of scoreless ball while Thomas Haggerty earned the save doing the same.
The Bucs improve to 29-8 on the year with the win while Miami Dade drops to 20-15.
FSW returns to Suncoast Conference action on Saturday at City of Palms Park in Fort Myers when they host State College of Florida in a battle for first in the conference standings. The Bucs and Manatees are slated for a 1 PM first pitch.