Posted: Mar 04, 2022
CLEARWATER, Fla.- Florida SouthWestern lefthander Chase Chatman threw the first complete game shutout by a Buc in nearly three seasons Friday afternoon in Clearwater as the Bucs raced past the St. Petersburg Titans 10-0 in the opening game of a quick three game set between the two.
FSW got on the board first in the top of the 3rd as Axel Melendez doubled to leadoff the inning and came around to score on a St. Pete error to give the Bucs an early 1-0 lead.
Bucs starter Chase Chatman kept the Titans bats quiet through four, yielding lone singles in the 3rd and 4th to keep it a 1-0 game as the teams went to the 5th.
The Bucs opened things up in the 5th as Kendry Noriega drove a run home with a single to make it 2-0 and later in the inning back to back RBI knocks from Paxton Tomaini and Jose Izarra upped the Bucs advantage to 5-0.
Chatman worked his first 1-2-3 inning in the 6th to keep it a 5-0 game and in the top of the 7th, the Bucs put the game away. Izarra picked up his second RBI of the game with a single to left and two batters later Satchell Norman doubled down the line with the bases loaded to extend the Bucs lead to 8-0. Two pitches later Ronny Medina got in on the action with a two run single back up the middle making it a 10-0 game in favor of FSW after 6 1/2.
That was more than enough for Chatman who blanked the Titans again in the bottom of the 7th to kick in the run rule as the Bucs took the series opener 10-0.
Chatman went the distance, posting the Bucs first complete game shutout since April of 2019 when current Oakland A Mitch Myers blanked the Titans for FSW. Chatman scattered four hits and struck out six, needing just 84 pitches to earn his second win of the year. The Bucs offense banged out 13 hits led by Medina who finished 3-4 with a pair of RBIs as well as Norman, Tomaini, and Izarra who each picked up two hits and two RBIs in the win.
The Bucs improve to 13-11 overall and 2-2 in Suncoast Conference play with the win while St. Petersburg drops to 8-11 overall and 1-3 in league play.
The same two teams will be back in action Saturday at City of Palms Park in Fort Myers with first pitch scheduled for 1 PM.