LAKELAND, FLA.- The #11 Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers worked themselves into a hole they couldn't get out of Saturday afternoon at Joker Marchant Stadium in Lakeland and therefore saw their season come to an end at the 2019 FCSAA State Tournament. FSW fell behind 8-0 after two innings against Miami Dade and battled back valiantly, putting the tying run on base late in the game, but it wasn't meant to be as they fell 14-11 to end the best season in school history at 40-14.
The game couldn't have gotten off to much of a worse start for the Bucs who defeated the Sharks in four of five regular season meetings. A pair of walks and three singles gave Miami Dade a 3-0 lead to begin the game and chased FSW starter Rafael Santos out of the game after recording just one out in the first. The Bucs bullpen didn't offer much relief as two more run scoring singles pushed the lead to 5-0, giving the Sharks a five run cushion before FSW even had a chance to get their first swings of the game in.
After a quick 1-2-3 bottom half of the first for the Bucs, the Sharks added on in the second. Back to back two out hits plated runs for Miami Dade, extending their lead to 8-0. The Sharks looked like they had more with another two out knock following a walk, but Victor Florentino gunned down a runner at the plate to put out the fire and keep it an 8-0 contest.
The Bucs got some help to crack the scoreboard in the third, using a walk, an error, and a wild pitch to score two without a hit, cutting the Miami Dade lead to 8-2 after three.
Nate Madej kept the Bucs in it with a zero in the fourth and FSW got to the Miami Dade bullpen in the bottom of the frame to get back into the game. With the bases loaded and one out a wild pitch allowed the Bucs to score a run and their first hit of the game, coming off the bat of Tyler Solomon brought another home to cut the lead in half to 8-4. Later in the inning a groundout drove in their third run of the inning, making it a game once again at 8-5 after four complete.
Miami Dade extended upon their lead in the fifth, getting some help from the Bucs in the process. Three straight walks and a wild pitch allowed the Sharks to score three times and a fielder's choice on the infield gave them their fourth run of the inning without a hit to quickly open their lead back up at 12-5.
Three straight FSW strikeouts in the fifth brought the Sharks right back up to the dish in the sixth.
A walk and the Bucs third error of the game set the table for Miami Dade in the sixth and with one out a double down the right field line pushed two more home to make it a 14-5 game.
Just when it looked like the Bucs season would come to a premature end with a run rule, they found their offense. First it was Connor Bagnieski who crushed a ball out to right to cut the Miami Dade lead to 14-6 and two batters later Tommy Joseph unloaded on a ball to right center for a two run shot to get back to within six at 14-8.
The Bucs used another big fly in the eighth to cut into the Dade lead, this time it was Shamir Morales who tattooed a ball to left to make it a 14-10 game. Later in the inning a Shark error allowed the third run of the inning to score, making it a 14-11 contest and putting the tying run on base for the Bucs. With the bases loaded and two outs, a shot down the line for FSW hit the third base bag and looked like it was going to be in trouble for the Sharks, but a smooth play at third for the Dade third baseman doused the flames and kept the Sharks in front 14-11 after eight complete.
The Bucs got a leadoff single in the ninth, but the runner was erased on a double play and they would never get the tying run closer than the on deck circle as they fell 14-11 to see their season come to a close.
The game featured 23 hits, 14 for Miami Dade and nine for FSW. Joseph paced the offense, going 2 for 4 with a homer and three RBI's while Morales and Bagnieski each finished with a pair of RBI's for the Bucs. FSW threw six different pitchers in the loss and all but one gave up multiple runs. Robert Weigielnik was the lone arm not to, going three scoreless to allow the Bucs the chance to come back, he didn't allow a hit, walking two on 40 pitches. Santos was tagged with the loss to fall to 4-5 on the year, allowing three runs and four hits in just 1/3 of an inning.
The Bucs season comes to a close at 40-14 while Miami Dade survives and advances with a 30-19 mark.
