Posted: Feb 18, 2022
FORT MYERS, Fla.- After dropping three straight games by a total of four runs, the #15 Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers took out their frustrations on the ASA Miami Silver Storm Friday afternoon at City of Palms Park in Downtown Fort Myers, ripping the ASA pitching staff for 30 runs in a doubleheader to sweep the Silver Storm 17-7 and 13-8 to improve to 10-8 on the year.
The Bucs wasted little time in jumping on the Silver Storm right away in the 1st inning of game one, getting an RBI single from Yadiel Santana followed by a two run double from Simon Baumer to take a quick 3-0 lead. Later in the inning Ronny Medina got into the act with an RBI double of his own to make it 4-0 and the Bucs plated their fifth run of the frame on a wild pitch to go ahead 5-0 after one inning of play.
FSW was back at it in the 2nd, getting back to back RBI singles from Hunter Fitz-Gerald and Santana and a bases loaded walk to Jose Izarra later in the frame to plate three runs and extend their lead to 8-0.
ASA Miami loaded the bases on three walks in the 3rd and got a two out single up the middle to score their first run of the game and cut the Bucs lead to 8-1.
The Bucs answered right back, putting up their third straight crooked number on a double off the center field wall from Paul Winland and another bases loaded walk to Izarra to make it a 10-1 ballgame.
After a much needed quick inning for both sides in the 4th, the carousel continued in the 5th.
FSW start Magnus Ellerts got two quick outs in the 5th, but walked the next two batters and gave up three straight singles to allow three Silver Storm runs to score to make it a 10-4 game.
The Bucs responded in the bottom of the inning as they executed a double steal to swipe a run and took advantage of an ASA error to score two more to stretch it back to a nine run lead at 13-4.
The Silver Storm kept fighting, getting three straight hits, including a two run home run in the 7th to plate three runs and make it a 13-7 game.
FSW quickly got the runs back after stretch time as Simon Baumer, Izarra, and Satchell Norman laced three straight doubles, the later two bringing three runs home to extend the lead to 16-7.
Riley Skeen threw a scoreless 8th for the Bucs and with one out in the bottom of the frame Hunter Fitz-Gerald crushed a solo home run to right to kick in the run rule in a 17-7 FSW win.
The Bucs finished with 13 hits and took advantage of 11 walks in the win. The middle of the FSW order was deadly as Fitz-Gerald, Santana, Baumer, and Izarra each had two hits and combined to drive home 10. Ellerts earned his second win of the season on the mound, going 4 2/3 innings and allowing four hits and one earned run while striking out six.
ASA took their first lead of the day to start game two, getting a two out single in the top of the 1st to go ahead early 1-0.
Their lead didn't last long though as the Bucs plated three in the bottom of the 1st thanks in part to some sloppy defense by the Silver Storm to take their first lead of the game at 3-1 after one.
Bucs starter Chase Chatman worked a quick 1-2-3 top of the 3rd for FSW and Fitz-Gerald gave his left hander some more run support in the bottom of the inning with an opposite field home run to up the Bucs lead to 4-1 at the end of three.
The Bucs added to their lead in the 5th as Kendry Noriega tripled off the center field wall and scored on an RBI single from Santana to make it 5-1 FSW.
With both teams deep in their bullpens, there were some fireworks in the 7th and 8th innings.
ASA used a one out single to score a run and get within two and from there just kept the bat on their shoulders as Bucs pitching hit a man to load the bases and then back to back walks forced home runs to tie the game at 5.
With the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the 7th Braden Forchic came up huge for FSW, ripping a two run double down the line in right to put the Bucs back in front 7-5. After an intentional walk to Baumer reloaded the bases, Matthew Corpas crushed a two run double of his own off the wall in left to extend the lead to 9-5. An ASA error allowed the fifth Bucs run of the inning to score, giving FSW a 10-5 advantage after seven innings of play.
The Silver Storm got two back in the 8th without the benefit of a hit as a hit batter and two FSW errors allowed two runs to score to make it a 10-7 game. One batter later, a double down the line plated a third run in the inning to make it a two run game at 10-8.
With darkness creeping over City of Palms Park, the Bucs added three for good measure in the bottom of the 8th as Norman hammered a two run bomb to left to stretch the lead to 12-8 and later in the inning a single up the middle from Corpas pushed it to a 13-8 game.
The teams tried to finish the game in the 9th, but after two quick outs, the umpire called the game for darkness, giving the Bucs a 13-8 win to finish off the sweep.
The Bucs banged out 12 hits in the win, getting a 3-3 effort off the bench from Noriega who scored three times and multi-hit games from Norman, Forchic, and Corpas, who combined for seven RBIs in the victory. Ben Petschke was the benefactor of the late offense for the Bucs, picking up the win in relief after allowing three unearned runs on one hit in one inning of work to improve to 3-0 on the year while Grant Besser retired the only hitter he faced to close out the 8th for his third save of the year.
The Bucs snap a three game losing streak with the sweep to improve to 10-8 on the year while ASA Miami falls to 3-11.
FSW is back in action Saturday when they travel to Fort Pierce to take on Indian River in a non-conference contest set for a 1 PM first pitch.
