Bucs Combine For No-Hitter in Win

Grant Besser (Photo by Linwood Ferguson)
Grant Besser (Photo by Linwood Ferguson)

FORT MYERS, Fla.- Four pitchers combined on a no-hitter Saturday afternoon for the Florida SouthWestern State Baseball team as the Buccaneers blanked Elev8 Academy 9-0 to improve to 11-6 on the year. 

After a 1-2-3 top half of the 1st from starter Enrique Cotto, the Bucs jumped on Elev8 right away, scoring a pair in the bottom of the inning on an RBI single from Matthew Corpas and a wild pitch to take an early 2-0 lead. 

It remained 2-0 to the bottom of the 4th as Cotto mowed through all nine batters he faced through three before giving way to Grant Besser who tossed a scoreless frame to keep Elev8 off the board. 

The Bucs had a golden chance to add to their lead in the bottom of the 4th, but couldn't cash in two runners in scoring position with just one out as they continued to hold a 2-0 lead as the teams went to the 5th

FSW opened it up in the 5th, but didn't have to do much themselves.  After an RBI single from Corpas made it 3-0, the Bucs scored four runs without ever having to take their bats off their shoulders.  A bases loaded hit batter followed by three straight bases loaded walks made it 7-0 FSW after five. 

Corpas' big day continued in the 6th as he drove in his third run of the game with a sacrifice to right while Axel Melendez followed suit to make it 9-0 Bucs after six. 

The Bucs bullpen did the rest as Danny Galvan tossed a scoreless frame and Ty Burton closed things out with a strikeout to finish off the no-hitter and a 9-0 FSW win. 

FSW had only 6 hits in the win, but used 11 walks and 5 hit batters to score nine runs.  Cotto threw 3 perfect innings to start the game while Besser worked 4 hitless frames before Burton and Galvan came in to close out the no-no.  It is the second straight year that Elev8 failed to get a hit against FSW pitching after the Bucs threw a perfect game against them a season ago.

The Bucs improve to 11-6 on the year with the win and will continue their homestand on Monday when they host ASA-Miami in a 6 PM first pitch from City of Palms Park in Downtown Fort Myers. 

FLORIDA SOUTHWESTERN/ELEV8 ACADEMY BOX SCORE