Posted: Apr 22, 2022
FORT MYERS, Fla.- The #11 Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers jumped out to an early 7-0 lead and never looked back Friday afternoon at City of Palms Park in Downtown Fort Myers, using a strong pitching effort from Magnus Ellerts and a 13 hit attack from the offense for a 12-3 win to finish a seven game season sweep of the St. Petersburg Titans.
In a matchup of the Conference Champion Bucs and the last place Titans, it was all FSW early on as the Bucs plated four runs on just one hit in the bottom of the 1st inning, to take a quick 4-0 lead on St. Pete.
After FSW starter Magnus Ellerts worked another quick 1-2-3 inning in the top of the 2nd including blowing a 95 mile per hour fastball by the final Titan hitter of the frame for a strikeout, the Bucs were back on the attack in the bottom half of the inning, putting two on for Satchell Norman who took advantage by depositing a three run home run over the wall in left to open the FSW lead to 7-0 after two.
Ellerts fanned two more in the 3rd and struck out the side in the 4th to keep it a 7-0 game in favor of the Bucs as the teams went to the 5th.
The Titans finally got on the board in the 5th with three straight two out hits, but Ellerts limited the damage to one and kept FSW comfortably in front 7-1.
The Bucs quickly got the run back in the bottom of the inning as Simon Baumer drilled a two out double off the wall in left to bring home a run and make it an 8-1 game.
St. Pete got back into the game in the 6th, pushing two runs across after a Buccaneer error to make it 8-3.
The Titans made some noise again in the 7th, loading the bases with two outs, bringing the tying run to the on deck circle, but FSW righthander Ben Peterson worked himself out of his own jam with a big strikeout to end the threat and keep the Bucs up 8-3.
FSW blew the game open in the bottom of the inning, getting three straight two out hits including RBI doubles from Axel Melendez and Kendry Noriega to open the lead to 12-3.
That's the way it would finish as Ronaldo Fernandez worked a six pitch 8th and a 1-2-3 9th from Riley Skeen to close out a 12-3 win for the Bucs.
The Bucs banged out 13 hits in the win with four different players recording multi-hit games. Baumer was 2-4 with a double and a pair of RBIs while Melendez was 2-3 with a double and two RBIs of his own. Paul Winland reached base four times, going 1-2 and walking three times.
Ellerts cruised to 9-0 on the season on the mound, going five innings and allowing just four hits and one run while striking out 10. Peterson, Fernandez, and Skeen closed out the game with a scoreless inning each in the win.
FSW defeats their third different Suncoast Conference opponent in five days to improve to 37-14 overall and 22-4 in conference action while St. Pete's forgettable April continues as they drop their 12th straight to fall to 14-31 overall and 4-22 in league action.
FSW will be back in action at home Saturday at 12:30 when they host Hillsborough on Sophomore Day at City of Palms Park. The Bucs will honor their historic sophomore class in a pregame ceremony beginning at approximately 12:20.