KENDALL, Fla.- There was lots of scoring early and then nothing for the final six innings Friday afternoon as the Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers took on the #18 Miami Dade Sharks in the second game of their three game split site series.  Unfortunately for the Bucs, a four run 3rd inning for the Sharks was too much to overcome as Miami Dade clinched the series win with a 5-2 victory.  The same two teams will wrap up the series Saturday at 1 in Fort Myers.  

 

The teams traded runs in the 1st as FSW got on the board with a bases loaded walk by Jared Campbell and Miami Dade scored in the bottom of the inning on an FSW error to tie the game at 1. 

 

Both teams went in order in the 2nd and the Bucs pushed back in front in the 3rd as Jose Marcano singled home Warnner Rincones who tripled with one out in the inning to put FSW up 2-1.  

 

The Sharks answered right away as their first four hitters of the bottom of the 3rd registered hits including an RBI single followed by an RBI double to give them the lead back at 3-2.  Later in the inning a groundout plated their third run of the inning and a two out single pushed across their fourth to make it 5-2 Sharks after three.  

 

Things quieted down from there.  The Bucs had a chance to get back in it with two baserunners in the 5th but couldn't come through and had a runner on third before stretch time and again couldn't deliver as it remained 5-2 after seven complete.  

 

The Bucs pitching staff kept the Sharks there, but the offense never came around as Miami Dade closed the game out with a 1-2-3 9th to finish off a 5-2 victory to claim the series win.  

 

Connor Bagnieski and Rincones had 3 hits each for the Bucs while Marcano finished 2-4 with an RBI.  Enrique Cotto took the loss on the mound, allowing 11 hits and 5 runs, 4 earned on 88 pitches through 6 innings of work.  Brendan Koester threw two solid innings out of the bullpen allowing just one baserunner.  

 

FSW falls to 12-8 on the year while Miami Dade improves to 15-3. 

 

The two teams will wrap up the series in their fifth matchup of the season Saturday at City of Palms Park in Fort Myers in a 1 PM first pitch.