February 15, 2021
Cunningham, Bucs Bats Power FSW Over Ave Maria
Carter Cunningham homered and drove in four to power a 12 hit offensive attack for the Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers Monday afternoon at City of Palms Park in Downtown Fort Myers as the Bucs breezed past Ave Maria 13-2 for their third straight win.
FORT MYERS, Fla.- Carter Cunningham homered and drove in four to power a 12 hit offensive attack for the Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers Monday afternoon at City of Palms Park in Downtown Fort Myers as the Bucs breezed past Ave Maria 13-2 for their third straight win.
Cunningham got the Bucs on the board first in the bottom of the 3rd when he launched a two run home run into the bleachers in right to give FSW a 2-0 lead. Later in the inning Noah Heisler ripped an RBI single past the Ave Maria third baseman, plating another run to put FSW in front 3-0 after three complete.
After the Gyrenes scored their first run of the game with a leadoff triple and then a groundout in the 5th, the Bucs bats came alive.
First Abimelec Ortiz singled up the middle to give FSW a 4-1 lead followed by a sacrifice fly off the bat of Luis Tuero to make it 5-1. Later in the frame Kendry Noriega unloaded on a 2-1 offering, sending it screaming over the left field wall for a three run home run to push their Bucs lead to 8-1. They still weren't done. Cunningham would get ahold of his second deep drive of the game, this time it stayed in the deepest part of the park for a two run triple to make it 10-1 FSW. A bases loaded walk later in the inning made it 11-1 and a wild pitch allowed the Bucs seventh run of the inning to score to make it 12-1 FSW after six complete.
That was all the Bucs bullpen needed as four relievers combined to spin four hitless frames to close the game out, sealing up a 13-2 win for FSW.
Cunnigham finished 3-4 with a triple, a home run, and four RBIs for the Bucs, missing the cycle by just a double, while Warnner Rincones went 4-4 and reached base six times in the contest. Enrique Cotto earned his second win of the season on the mound, going five innings and allowing four hits and one run while striking out seven. Brendan Koester, Simon Baumer, and Ronaldo Fernandez each threw scoreless innings out of the bullpen to close things out.
The Bucs improve to 11-6 on the year with their third straight win. Ave Maria falls to 2-8.
FSW will be back at it this weekend when they play a home and home with Eastern Florida State. Friday's contest in Melbourne and Saturday's back home at City of Palms Park.
