Posted: Feb 01, 2025
FORT MYERS, Fla.- The #4 Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers picked up their fourth straight win in dramatic fashion Saturday afternoon at Buccaneers Park in Fort Myers, getting a late game home run from Jake Mueller and a walk off knock in the bottom of the 10th inning from Ty Hamilton to beat the Chattahoochee Valley Pirates 8-7 in game two of their three game weekend series.
After a scoreless 1st inning for both sides, Chattahoochee Valley took their first lead of the series in the 2nd , taking advantage of a hit batter and a two out RBI double to get on the board and take a 1-0 lead.
Another bean ball led to the Pirates second run of the game in the 3rd to put them up 2-0, but FSW battled back, getting an RBI groundout from Brock Knoerr and a two out double off the wall from Carlos Sanchez to tie the score up at 2-2 after three.
The game didn't stay tied long as a solo home run for the Pirates put them back in front 3-2 in the top of the 4th .
A walk and a pair of Buccaneer errors gave the Pirates a run for the fourth straight inning as they extended their lead to 4-2 at the midway point of the contest.
The Bucs went to the bullpen for the second time in the game in the 7th and it didn't provide the relief they were looking for as a single and two free passes loaded the bases before a pair of walks pushed runs home to double the Pirates lead to 6-2 without having to swing the bat.
Chatt Valley returned the favor in the bottom of the 7th as they handed FSW three free passes to load the bases with one out before a passed ball and an infield single brought a pair of runs home to cut the Pirates lead in half to 6-4. Later in the frame with two on and two out Jake Mueller picked the perfect time for his first home run as a Buc, launching a three run shot over the wall in left to give FSW their first lead of the game at 7-6 after seven.
The lead was short lived as Chatt Valley answered right back, getting a two out single after an intentional walk to bring home a run and tie the game back up at 7 after 7 1/2.
Both teams had ducks on the pond in the 9th as they looked to push the go ahead run across, but neither could come through with the big hit and it sent the game to extra innings deadlocked at 7.
Nicholas Lorenz took the mound for his second inning of work in the top of the 10th for the Bucs and he mowed through the Pirate lineup in order to give the Bucs a chance to walk it off in the bottom of the frame.
Devin Parks was hit by a pitch to lead off the FSW 10th and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt from Nik Pereira. Parks moved up 90 feet on a wild pitch and Ty Hamilton played the hero as he got a ground ball past the drawn in infield for the game winner as Parks trotted home for the 8-7 walk off winner for the Bucs.
Sanchez finished 3-4 with a double and a pair of RBIs in the win for FSW while Luke Orfi was 2-3 with a pair of runs scored at the top of the order. Lorenz earned the win out of the FSW bullpen, going two scoreless innings and striking out four to pick up his first collegiate victory.
FSW wins their fourth straight to improve to 4-1 on the year while Chattahoochee Valley falls to 0-2.
The Bucs and Pirates will wrap up the three game set on Sunday at Buccaneers Park in Fort Myers with a noon first pitch on the campus of FSW.
