NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla.- The Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers won their sixth straight game Monday afternoon on the road at Pasco-Hernando, taking an early lead and riding an excellent outing from their bullpen in a 5-2 victory over the Bobcats to improve to 14-6 on the year.
The Bucs got on the board right away in their first at bats as Warnner Rincones walked to start the ballgame, moved to third on a failed pickoff attempt, and scored on a sacrifice fly from Matthew Corpas to give FSW a quick 1-0 lead.
FSW added to their lead in the 2nd as Luis Tuero drove home a run with a groundout and Axel Melendez tripled home another to make it 3-0 Bucs after an inning and half of action.
Pasco got lone tallies in the 2nd and 3rd innings, but the Bucs remained in front 3-2 as the teams went to the 4th.
There was nothing going for either side in the 4th and 5th frames, but the Bucs added to their lead in the 6th when Corpas doubled to lead off the inning and later scored on a sac fly from Abimelec Ortiz to push the lead to 4-2.
Matt Whitney came out of the FSW bullpen in the 6th and pitched around a leadoff double to keep the Bucs in front 4-2 and it remained that way through the 7th.
The Bucs added an insurance run in the 8th on an RBI single from Yadiel Santana to take a 5-2 lead.
Antonio Knowles locked it down from there for the Bucs, retiring six of the final seven batters of the game to nail down a 5-2 win for FSW.
The Bucs finished with eight hits in the win, with seven different players picking up a knock. Santana was the only FSW hitter with a multi-hit day, going 2-4 with an RBI in the win. Enrique Cotto earned the win on the mound, starting and going five solid innings, allowing five hits and two runs to improve to 3-0 on the year. Knowles closed the game out for the Bucs, pitching 2 1/3 scoreless to earn his FCSAA leading fourth save of the year.
The Bucs will be back in action at home on Wednesday when they host Miami Dade in non-conference action beginning at 2 PM.