Posted: Feb 24, 2020
FORT MYERS, Fla.- The Florida SouthWestern State Baseball team put together a wild turnaround Monday night at City of Palms Park in Fort Myers, going from 6-2 down to winning 16-6 two innings later, improving to 12-6 on the year with the run rule victory in eight innings against ASA Miami.
It was not a good start for the Bucs, who found themselves down 4-0 before even getting their first crack at bat after the Silver Storm put up a four spot in the top half of the 1st inning.
The Bucs got a run back in the bottom of the inning on a wild pitch, but left two ducks on the pond at innings end to keep it a 4-1 game in favor of ASA.
It stayed a 4-1 game to the 4th when the Silver Storm added another run to push their lead back to four at 5-1.
Tommy Joseph singled up the middle to score Connor Bagnieski, who walked to begin the FSW 5th, and the Bucs had the bases loaded with just one out, but a strikeout and a fly out seemed to kill their momentum as ASA continued to lead 5-2.
The Bucs gave the run back right away though, walking three and hitting another to force home a run to gift wrap ASA a 6-2 advantage.
That's when the madness started. Joseph and Jared Campbell found holes in the Silver Storm defense for RBI singles to cut the ASA lead to 6-4 and two batters later a flare to right center plated them both to tie the game at 6. The Bucs got fancy to take the lead, pulling off an improbable triple steal with the bases loaded and two outs to bring home the go ahead run to make it 7-6. One batter later, Jose Marcano cleaned the bases, shooting a double down the right field line to pad the Bucs lead to 9-6.
Brendan Koester kept the game there to the bottom of the 8th where the Bucs went off again. Marcano drove home two more as a shot past the third baseman and a bases loaded walk to Bagnieski pushed the Bucs lead to 12-6. A stinging single up the middle from Joseph plated FSW's fourth and fifth runs of the inning and after another walk, a hard ground ball through the box off Matthew Corpas' bat brought two home and effectively ended the game with the run rule kicking in in a 16-6 Buccaneer victory.
The Bucs, who went from 6-2 down in the contest, to winning 16-6, had 17 hits in the victory while walking 12 times and stealing 9 bases. Joseph finished 4-6 with 3 RBIs while Corpas and Marcano each drove home 4 and Warner Rincones went 4-5 with a run scored for FSW. With all of that said, Bagnieski might have put together the line of the night, finishing the contest 1-1 with an RBI, 4 runs scored, and a program record 5 walks for the Bucs. Koester earned the win on the bump, improving to 1-1 on the year while going 2 2/3 shutout innings, allowing just 3 hits while striking out 3.
FSW improves to 12-6 overall with the win while ASA Miami falls to 5-11.
The Bucs are back in action at home on Wednesday when they host Miami Dade in the first of a three game set. The Bucs and Sharks will get going at 5 PM Wednesday night at City of Palms Park in Downtown Fort Myers.
