AVON PARK, Fla.- Alejandro Valiente threw 5 2/3 solid innings and Marc Davis retired all 10 hitters he faced out of the bullpen for the Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers Friday in Avon Park, leading the Bucs to a 5-1 win over South Florida State to clinch a series win and get FSW one step closer to their second straight Suncoast Conference Championship.  

 

After a scoreless first, the Bucs put the first dent in the scoreboard in the top of the 2nd as Jared Campbell walked to start the frame and scored three pitches later when Abimelec Ortiz crushed a two run home run to right to put FSW up 2-0. 

 

The Bucs added to their lead in the 3rd when Campbell lined a double the other way to drive home a run to make it 3-0. 

 

FSW starter Alejandro Valiente handcuffed the Panther hitters again in the bottom of the 3rd and the Bucs tacked on another run in the 4th on a one out RBI single from Luis Tuero to stretch their lead to 4-0. 

 

The Bucs scored for the fourth straight inning in the 5th when Christian Lucio launched a solo home run to left to begin the inning to make it a 5-0 game.  

 

South Florida State cracked the scoreboard for the first and only time in the game in the 6th with a solo home run to make it 5-1, but Marc Davis came out of the FSW bullpen to shut down any further threat to keep the Bucs in front by four. 

 

There wasn't any other action on the basepaths for either side after that as FSW went down in order in their next three at bats and Davis completely silenced the South Florida lineup, retiring the final nine hitters of the game for the Panthers to sew up a 5-1 win for the Bucs. 

 

Valiente and Davis were brilliant on the mound for the Bucs in the victory. Valiente earned his third win of the season, going 5 2/3 innings, allowing just two hits and one run while striking out seven and Davis tossed 3 1/3 perfect frames with five strikeouts to earn his second save of the year. Campbell finished 2-3 with a double and an RBI while Ortiz was 1-4 with two RBIs in the win. 

 

FSW improves to 36-13 overall, but more importantly ups their Suncoast Conference record to 17-6 on the year where they remain two games up with seven to go in their quest for a Conference Championship.  South Florida State falls to 19-29 overall and 6-17 in league play with the loss. 

 

The Bucs and Panthers will hook up one final time in 2021 on Saturday at City of Palms Park in a 1 PM first pitch.