TAMPA, Fla.- The Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers were back to their old ways on Monday, not only taking on their former Suncoast Conference rival Hillsborough, but also in their style, stealing seven bases in a 5-4 win over the Hawks to round out non-conference action.

 

The Bucs got on the board first as Joel Gardner walked with two outs to extend the top half of the 1^st and Derek Williams and Albert Serrano ripped back to back singles to drive home Gardner and give FSW an early 1-0 lead. 

 

Hillsborough answered right away, stringing together three hits of their own in the bottom of the 1^st to level the score at 1 at the end of one inning of play.  

 

The Bucs got gifted a pair of baserunners on Hillsborough errors in the 2nd, but couldn't take advantage and left another runner on in the 3^rd as the game remained 1-1 through three.  

 

Hillsborough had the next scoring opportunity as they loaded the bases with one out after an FSW error starting the inning, but Bucs starter Isaac Upole got a big groundout and then a key strikeout to keep it a 1-1 game at the end of four. 

 

The Hawks broke through in the 5^th as a pair of walks and a two out error by the Bucs allowed Hillsborough to push a run across and take a 2-1 lead. 

 

The Bucs had a chance to equalize in the 7^th as Yariel Diaz singled to start the inning and Sergio Rivera reached on an error to put runners on the corners with one out.  A failed double steal followed by a strikeout ended the threat and kept the Hawks in front 2-1. 

 

Bucs reliever Zach Locke worked a 1-2-3 bottom of the 7^th and FSW finally took advantage in the 8^th as more sloppy defense by Hillsborough allowed the Bucs to score three times, turning a 2-1 deficit into a 4-2 lead at the end of 7 1/2. 

 

The Bucs didn't hold the lead long though as back to back walks and a bunt single loaded the bases for the Hawks in the bottom of the 8^th before a groundout and an FSW error allowed  a pair of runs to score to even the game at 4 a piece. 

 

With two runners in scoring position and two outs for the Bucs in the 9th, the Hawks committed their fifth error of the game on a ground ball to short, allowing FSW to push across the go ahead run and take a 5-4 lead. 

 

Hillsborough put the tying run on in the bottom of the 9th, but FSW reliever Henry Hardie got a pop out to end the threat and secure the 5-4 win for the Bucs. 

 

It wasn't the prettiest game for either side as the two teams combined for 11 walks, 8 errors, and went without an extra base hit. Gardner finished with a rather unique line, going 0-1 with four walks and two runs scored in the win for the Bucs. Upole threw five solid innings for the Bucs in the win, allowing one earned run and striking out four.  Locke went two hitless frames while Hardie threw two scoreless innings to close things out and earn his first win as a Buc.  

 

FSW wraps up non-conference play at 15-9 while going a perfect 6-0 against their former Suncoast Conference mates.  Hillsborough falls to 6-17 on the year with the loss.  

 

The Bucs begin their new journey in the Southern Conference on Wednesday when they square off with Indian River in a 2 PM first pitch from Buccaneers Park in Fort Myers.