May 7, 2022
Bucs Upended To Force Deciding Game Three
The #8 Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers scored three runs in the top of the 1st as the visiting team at home at City of Palms Park Saturday afternoon against the Indian River Pioneers in game two of the Fort Myers Regional portion of the FCSAA State Tournament, but they didn't score again as the Bucs went six innings without a hit after the hot start and watched as their lead disintegrated in the 4th inning and the Pioneers took a lead they never relinquished in the 5th as Indian River took the game 4-3 to force a third and deciding game in the series.
FORT MYERS, Fla.- The #8 Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers scored three runs in the top of the 1st as the visiting team at home at City of Palms Park Saturday afternoon against the Indian River Pioneers in game two of the Fort Myers Regional portion of the FCSAA State Tournament, but they didn't score again as the Bucs went six innings without a hit after the hot start and watched as their lead disintegrated in the 4th inning and the Pioneers took a lead they never relinquished in the 5th as Indian River took the game 4-3 to force a third and deciding game in the series.
After dominating game one of the series on Friday, the Bucs got off to another hot start on Saturday in game two as Kendry Noriega homered to leadoff the game and FSW added to more runs on an Indian River error later in the 1st inning to give the Bucs a 3-0 lead before the Pioneers got their first cracks at the plate.
FSW starter Chase Chatman was dialed in early on, posting three straight zeros for the Bucs to keep it a 3-0 game in favor of FSW as the teams went to the 4th.
It was an inauspicious start to the 4th for Indian River as they had two out and a man on first after a bean ball, but a walk and another hit batter loaded the bases before back to back RBI singles cleared the bases and knotted the score at 3.
The Bucs had a chance to answer in the top of the 5th as they put two on with two out, but a fly out to center ended the threat and the inning, keeping it a 3-3 game midway through the contest.
Indian River kept momentum on their side in the bottom of the 5th as they turned a pair of singles and a passed ball into a run to take their first lead of the series at 4-3.
The Bucs didn't get another hit until the 8th when Hunter Fitz-Gerald doubled with one out, but later in the inning he was called out for failing to properly tag up as he tried to advance to third on a fly ball to center field, ending the Bucs best threat in seven innings and keeping it a 4-3 game in favor of Indian River.
The Bucs went to their bench in the 9th with a pair of pinch hitters, but the results were the same as they went down in order to end the contest with Indian River finishing off a 4-3 victory to force a game three.
FSW managed just four hits in the loss, their least since a March 2nd loss to Polk State. Noriega was 1-3 with a homer and the Bucs only RBI of the contest. Grant Besser took the loss on the mound despite going 4 1/3 innings, allowing just three hits and one unearned run while striking out four to fall to 3-2 on the year.
The Bucs see a seven game win streak come to an end as they drop to 41-15 on the year while Indian River improves to 31-17.
The Pioneer win set up a winner take all game three of the series which started Saturday afternoon before being suspended in the top of the 3rd due to lightning and rain in the area. The game will continue Sunday at 1 PM at City of Palms Park with Indian River leading 1-0. The winner of the game will move onto the Region VIII Final Four in Lakeland next Thursday while the loser will call it a season.