BRADENTON, Fla.- Alex Ayala is locked in.  Friday the Florida SouthWestern State freshman had his start moved up one day for a key Suncoast Conference game against #16 State College of Florida, and he delivered. Ayala threw a career high 7 1/3 innings and allowed just three hits and one run while striking out a career best 11 to lead FSW to a 5-1 win over the Manatees to  not only win the series, but also to give FSW a two game lead atop the conference standings at the end of the first round of league play. 

 

The Bucs jumped on the Manatees right off the bat, getting an RBI double from Kendry Noriega and a sacrifice fly from Ronny Medina in the 2nd to give FSW a quick 2-0 lead.  With two on and one out, Warnner Rincones put together a professional at bat for the Bucs, working deep into the count before slapping a ground ball to second to drive home a run and make it 3-0 FSW after two.  

 

The Manatees got a run back in the 3rd on a solo home run, but FSW starter Alex Ayala locked in from there.  

 

Ayala worked three straight 1-2-3 frames from the 4th to the 6th including striking out the side in the 5th to keep the Bucs in front 3-1. 

 

Ayala headed back out to the mound after stretch time and looked as fresh as he did in the 1st, striking out two more and getting a weak groundout to push the game to the 8th with FSW leading 3-1. 

 

Jared Campbell walked and Christian Lucio singled to put two on for Abimelec Ortiz who stung a single up the middle to drive home both runners and cushion the Bucs lead to four at 5-1.  

 

Ayala picked up his 11th strikeout of the game before exiting in the 8th and handing the ball to FSW closer Antonio Knowles who continued what Ayala had started, returning both hitters he faced to keep it a 5-1 game after eight. 

 

The Bucs couldn't add any insurance runs in the 9th, but they didn't need to as Knowles slammed the door in the bottom of the frame, striking out a pair to close out a 5-1 win for FSW to take the series. 

 

Ayala was electric, going 7 1/3 and striking out 11, both career highs, while allowing just three hits and one run to earn his fifth straight win and improve to 6-2 on the year.  Knowles closed the game out for his NJCAA leading eighth save of the season.  The Bucs outhit the Manatees 10-3 in the win, getting three hits each from Yadiel Santana and Abi Ortiz who drive in two.  Lucio went 2-4 with a pair of runs scored for the Bucs.  

 

FSW pushes their record to 27-10 overall and 12-3 in Suncoast Conference play, where they have a full two game lead over the pack in the conference standings at the midway point of the league schedule.  SCF falls to 25-12 overall and 10-5 in league play where they fall back into a second place tie with all of a sudden red hot Polk State.  

 

The Bucs take a step out of conference play for the next seven days, starting with Saturday when they host ASA Miami at City of Palms Park in a 1 PM first pitch in Downtown Fort Myers.