January 24, 2021
Fast Start Leads FSW Past Pasco
For the second straight day, the Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers got off to a hot start on Sunday, but different than Saturday's result, this afternoon they were able to hold on, winning a 9-6 decision over Pasco-Hernando to close out the 2021 Marissa Gusto Memorial Tournament with a 3-1 record.
FORT MYERS, Fla.- For the second straight day, the Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers got off to a hot start on Sunday, but different than Saturday's result, this afternoon they were able to hold on, winning a 9-6 decision over Pasco-Hernando to close out the 2021 Marissa Gusto Memorial Tournament with a 3-1 record.
In front of a huge crowd of over 30 Major League Baseball scouts, FSW righthander Marc Davis was electric in the top half of the 1st, running his fastball up to 95 miles per hour while picking up a pair of strikeouts in a scoreless frame to begin the ballgame.
Davis' offense got him some support right away as Carter Cunningham walked to leadoff the Bucs 1st, stole second, and quickly scored on an Abimelec Ortiz single off the first base bag to give the Bucs a 1-0 lead right off the bat. A bullet through the right side off the bat of Christian Lucio made it a 2-0 game and a wild pitch allowed a third FSW run of the inning to score to make it 3-0. After a groundout, a line drive to the right center field gap off the bat of Simon Baumer plated Lucio and before it was all over, the Bucs led it 5-0 at the end of one.
Davis cruised through the 2nd and 3rd innings and the Bucs got an RBI double into the gap from Ronny Medina to stretch the lead to 6-0.
Pasco-Hernando got on the board for the first time in the top of the 4th with a leadoff home run, but that is all they would get against Davis as FSW went to the 5th, leading it 6-1.
Cunningham extended his hit streak to four games with an RBI single in the 5th to push the FSW lead back to six at 7-1.
The Bucs bats went quiet in the middle innings and the Bobcats woke up as Pasco pushed two across in the 6th and three more in the 7th to make it a one run game at 7-6.
Lucio picked up his second RBI hit of the day in the 8th to give the Bucs an insurance run and later scored on a wild pitch to make it 9-6 and that was all Antonio Knowles needed out of the FSW bullpen, dominating Pasco for three innings, striking out five to each his first save of the year.
The Bucs banged out 13 hits in the win, getting multi-hit games from five different players. Lucio finished 2-5 with 2 runs scored and 2 RBIs for FSW while Baumer, Ortiz, and Medina each had two hits and an RBI.
On the mound, Davis and Knowles ate up 7 innings for the Bucs. Davis earned his first win of the season, going 4 innings and allowing just 3 hits and 1 run while striking out 5 and Knowles blanked Pasco over the final 3 innings, allowing just a single hit while also fanning 5 to earn his first save of the year.
FSW improves to 3-1 with the win while Pasco-Hernando drops to 1-2.
The Bucs are back in action on Wednesday when they cross Alligator Alley to take on Miami Dade before returning home to battle ASA Miami next Friday and Saturday at City of Palms Park in Downtown Fort Myers.