LAKELAND, Fla.- The #11 Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers were shutout 5-0 by the Northwest Florida State Raiders Saturday afternoon in the FCSAA State Tournament, bringing their 2021 season to a close. 

 

It was a pitcher's duel early on between FSW's Enrique Cotto and Northwest Florida's Joel Sarver as the two matched zeros through the first two frames and the game moved to the 3rd scoreless. 

 

Cotto slipped in the 3rd and the Raiders took advantage, getting a two run double after a pair of walks to jump in front 2-0. 

 

Cotto kept Northwest Florida there through five, but the Bucs offense couldn't get anything going as it remained a 2-0 game into the 6th.  

 

The Raiders got into the Bucs bullpen in the 6th, but Antonio Knowles came in and extinguished the fire, getting out of a two on, no out threat to keep the game in reach at 2-0. 

 

Sarver continued to dominate the Bucs lineup, retiring all three men he faced in the 6th, 7th, and 8th to keep his shutout intact and the Raiders in front 2-0 as the teams went to the 9th. 

 

Northwest Florida added some insurance in the 9th, scoring three times to open up a 5-0 lead and the Bucs couldn't do anything with their final three outs as Sarver finished off the shutout and ended FSW's season with a 5-0 win. 

 

FSW managed just one hit in the loss while Northwest Florida finished with 10.  Yadiel Santana picked up the Bucs lone hit of the day and also reached on a walk in the contest. Cotto was saddled with the loss, falling to 6-2 on the year while allowing two runs on five hits in five plus innings worked.  

 

The Bucs season comes to an end at 44-16 while Northwest Florida advances to the round of three at the tournament as they improve to 32-16.