February 6, 2021
Quick Start Not Enough For Bucs in Game Two Against Indians
In their first 11 games this season, the Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers have scored an average of 2.27 runs in the first innings of their contests. Saturday, it was no different for the Bucs as they jumped out to a 3-0 lead on #3 Chipola with three first inning tallies. Unfortunately, the rest of the game their bats went familiarly cold as they were blanked the next eight frames, where they average just 0.52 runs per inning on the year, while watching Chipola score nine unanswered for a 9-3 win to take game two of the four game set between the two. The third game of the series was started, but was suspended in the seventh inning with Chipola leading 9-6 and will be finished in the morning before the series finale.
MARIANNA, Fla.- In their first 11 games this season, the Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers have scored an average of 2.27 runs in the first innings of their contests. Saturday, it was no different for the Bucs as they jumped out to a 3-0 lead on #3 Chipola with three first inning tallies. Unfortunately, the rest of the game their bats went familiarly cold as they were blanked the next eight frames, where they average just 0.52 runs per inning on the year, while watching Chipola score nine unanswered for a 9-3 win to take game two of the four game set between the two. The third game of the series was started, but was suspended in the seventh inning with Chipola leading 9-6 and will be finished in the morning before the series finale.
Once again the Bucs got off to a quick start as Warnner Rincones walked to start the ballgame and Carter Cunningham was hit by a pitch in front of a line drive, three run home run from Matthew Corpas to give FSW a 3-0 lead before their first out of the game was recorded.
Chipola answered right back, scoring three of their own in the 1st to tie the score at three after one.
The Bucs bats went quiet from there and a bases loaded walk for the Indians in the 3rd allowed Chipola to take their first lead of the game at 4-3.
Chipola continued to pressure the FSW defense, putting traffic on and scoring two more in the 4th and three more in the 6th to take a 9-3 lead.
The Bucs never threatened again as they went down in order in the 7th and 8th and managed a just a lone baserunner in the 9th as they fell 9-3.
The Bucs were outhit 14-3 in the contest and committed three errors defensively. Corpas had two of the Bucs three hits and drove in all three runs on his 1st inning homer. It was the only extra base hit in the game for FSW. Marc Davis suffered the loss on the mound, lasting just three innings while allowing six hits and four runs to fall to 1-1 on the year. Riley Skeen did continue his strong start to the year for the FSW bullpen, throwing two scoreless with three strikeouts against the Indians.
The Bucs looked to get back on track after dropping back to back games for the first time all season as they took the field for game three of the four game set.
FSW looked like it was off to another good start as their first two hitters of the 1st inning reached base and moved into scoring position, but three straight strikeouts ended the threat and it would come back to bite the Bucs later on.
After two quick outs in the Chipola 1st, five straight Indians reached base, four of them scoring, including two in unearned fashion after an FSW error, to allow Chipola to jump out to a 4-0 advantage early.
A leadoff triple for Chipola turned into a run in the 2nd to make it 5-0 game after two.
The Bucs had a golden opportunity in the 3rd as they loaded the bases on three straight walks to start the frame and then pushed a run across when Jared Campbell was hit by a pitch to make it 5-1. A walk to Christian Lucio allowed the Bucs to score their second run without putting a ball in play, but three straight strikeouts from there ended another threat and left three on the bases as the inning came to a close.
Two more walks and a passed ball allowed the Bucs to score their third inning of the ball game to cut it to a 5-3 Chipola lead in the 4th inning, but a three run home run for the Indians in the 5th stretched the Chipola lead back to five at 8-3 as the teams went to the 6th.
For the second time in the game, the Bucs loaded the bases without the benefit of a hit in the 6th after three straight walks to begin the frame, but a sacrifice fly and a double play one pitch later brought the inning to a close with the Bucs managing just a single tally.
The Bucs kept fighting, scoring two more in the 7th on a Chipola error and an infield single from Daniel Maldonado to make it an 8-6 game at stretch time.
A solo home run for the Indians cushioned their lead to 9-6 in the bottom of the 7th when the game was suspended for the night due to weather.
The game will resume Sunday morning ahead of the series finale, with Chipola batting in the bottom of the 7th with two outs and nobody on, leading 9-6.