Posted: Mar 27, 2023
FORT MYERS, Fla.- The first half of the Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers game Monday afternoon against the TNXL Academy Ducks was a pitcher's duel, scoreless after 3 ½ innings of play, but FSW exploded late to turn it into a slugfest, winning 13-3 in run rule fashion to improve to 24-12 on the year.
FSW starting pitcher Tyler Kennedy was locked in early on, working a 1-2-3 with a pair of strikeouts in the 1st before racking up three more punchouts in the 2nd to keep it a scoreless game through two innings of action.
After two more scoreless innings from Kennedy, the Bucs cracked the scoreboard first in the bottom of the 4th as Albert Serrano ripped a double down the left field line before Aries Samek lifted a sacrifice fly to right to drive home a run and make it 1-0 FSW at the end of four complete.
TNXL quickly tied things up with a sac fly of their own in their next at bat, but the Bucs struck back with an RBI single from AJ Shaver to take the lead back at 2-1 at the end of five.
The Bucs went to their usually steady bullpen in the 6th but they didn't get their usual zero on the scoreboard as a two out walk followed by a two run home run for the Ducks put TNXL on top for the first time in the game at 3-2.
The back and forth continued in the bottom of the 6th as Samek singled up the middle with two outs to extend the Bucs half of the inning before Nate Earley drilled a double off the center field wall to score him and level the score back up at 3.
The Bucs blew the game open in the 7th as they loaded the bases with three singles to start the inning before Derek Williams crushed a bases clearing double off the wall in left to quickly make it 6-3. Serrano singled the other way to drive him home and make it 7-3 and Samek ripped a single to the gap to make it a five run inning and an 8-3 lead for FSW at the end of seven.
Zach Locke worked out of a bases loaded jam in the top of the 8th as the Ducks tried to get back into things and the Bucs carried their momentum right into the bottom of the 8th to put the game away.
Three straight walks loaded the bases with nobody out for FSW for the second straight inning before Williams drove a run home with a sac fly and Samek continued his big day with a two run double to make it 11-3. A wild pitch made it a 12-3 game and a fly ball to right from Yariel Diaz drove home another for the Bucs to kick in the run rule with the Bucs taking it 13-3.
The Bucs banged out 14 hits after the slow start as Samek led the way with a perfect 4-4, four RBI day while Williams continued his hot streak with four RBIs of his own. Kennedy was outstanding, throwing five solid innings, allowing just three hits and one run while striking out six before giving the ball to Reyn Watson who earned his first win as a Buc with two innings of one hit ball.
FSW has won three straight to improve to 24-12 on the year while TNXL falls to 1-6 against NJCAA teams in 2023.
The Bucs get back into Southern Conference play on Wednesday when they travel to Fort Pierce to take on Indian River in the first of a three game set with the Pioneers this week.