Posted: Apr 16, 2022
BRADENTON, Fla.- The #7 Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers took one on the chin for the first time in the 2022 season Saturday afternoon in Bradenton, falling behind 8-0 early on before going on to drop a 14-4 contest to the State College of Florida to force a rubber game between the two Monday at City of Palms Park.
The Manatees struck early and often against the Bucs Saturday, plating three runs on just two hits in the 2nd, taking advantage of a pair of FSW errors to grab an early 3-0 lead.
The Bucs had a chance to get back in it in the 3rd, loading the bases for the middle of their lineup, but a double play ball ended the threat and the half inning with SCF continuing to lead it 3-0.
A two run home run for the Manatees made it 5-0 in the 3rd and they pushed across three more on just one hit in the 4th to blow it open to an 8-0 game.
Jose Izarra and Hunter Fitz-Gerald got the Bucs on the board in the 5th with RBIs to put a dent in the SCF lead at 8-2.
Back to back extra base hits for SCF in the bottom of the 5th quickly got one of the two runs back to make it a 9-2 game and they scored a lone tally again in the 6th to up their lead to 10-2.
The lone highlight of the Bucs day came in the 7th when Fitz-Gerald lifted off on his eighth homer of the year to right, a two run shot, but that was all FSW would get and the Manatees scored two more in the 7th and then back to back bases loaded walks in the 8th forced home runs and kicked in the run rule with SCF winning it 14-4.
The Bucs were outhit 13-8 in the game and committed five errors in the contest while SCF played clean defensively. Fitz-Gerald led the Bucs, going 2-3 with a homer and three RBIs while Satchell Norman also picked up a pair of hits in the loss.
FSW used seven pitchers in the loss, Frank Elissalt took the loss, allowing five hits and five runs in just 2 2/3 innings to fall to 3-3 on the year.
The loss was the first of the season by more than three runs for FSW who falls to 34-14 overall and 19-4 in Suncoast Conference play, where their lead atop the standings is trimmed to three with five games left to go. SCF keeps their postseason hopes alive with the victory, improving to 28-20 overall and 13-10 in league action where they sit three games behind second place Polk for the final playoff spot.
FSW and SCF will tangle in the rubber game Monday afternoon at City of Palms Park with first pitch scheduled for 3 PM.