February 19, 2023
Longball & Bullpen Leads Bucs to Sweep
AJ Shaver clubbed home runs in both ends of the doubleheader and the Bucs bullpen turned in an outstanding effort as the Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers took a pair over the Pasco-Hernando State Bobcats Saturday afternoon in New Port Richey to finish off the season sweep between the two.
NEW PORT RICHEY Fla.- AJ Shaver clubbed home runs in both ends of the doubleheader and the Bucs bullpen turned in an outstanding effort as the Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers took a pair over the Pasco-Hernando State Bobcats Saturday afternoon in New Port Richey to finish off the season sweep between the two.
In game one of the doubleheader Pasco-Hernando jumped in front of the Bucs 1-0 early on, but AJ Shaver homered for the second straight game to leadoff the FSW 4th to knot the game up at 1. Later in the frame Albert Serrano wanted to get in on the fun and launched a two run shot of his own out to right to put the Bucs in front 3-1.
The Bobcats got a run back in the bottom of the 4th to make it a one run game at 3-2 in favor of FSW, but Shaver remained red hot with an RBI single in the top of the 5th to put the Bucs up two once again at 4-2.
The back and forth continued as Pasco got a run in the bottom fot the 5th to close their gap to 4-3 once again and the Bobcats got two more in the 6th to take a 5-4 lead on the Bucs with just one scheduled inning to go.
Micahael McAloose came up with a huge one out double in the FSW 7th and he was lifted for pinch runner Segio Rivera to swiped third and then scored on a sacrifice fly from Shaver to knot the game up at 5.
Lucas Hartman put up another huge zero for FSW on the mound in the bottom of the 7th to send the game to extras and Bucs took advantage as they loaded the bases on a walk and two hit batters in the 8th before Rivera came up big on a two out, two strike pitch, lacing it the other way for a bases clearing triple to put FSW back ahead 8-5.
That was more than enough for Hartman who shut the door from there, working around a two out walk in the 8th to close it out for the Bucs, sealing up an 8-5 win to improve to 8-6 overall on the year.
The Bucs were actually outhit 10-7 in the win, but they made their seven hits count as five, from five different players, went for extra bases. Shaver finished 2-4 with a homer and three RBIs while Rivera's clutch game winner in the 8th left him 1-1 with a triple and three RBIs officially. Hartman earned his second win of the season out of the FSW bullpen, going 2 2/3 innings of one hit baseball while striking out three.
In game two Pasco came out swinging, scoring in each of the first two innings to take an early 2-0 lead.
The Bucs responded in the 3rd as Shaver drilled an 0-1 pitch deep and out to left for a three run shot, his third home run in as many games, to give FSW a 3-2 lead on one swing of the bat.
In out of the FSW bullpen in the 3rd, Kevin Rodriguez worked himself out of a bases loaded, one out jam with a strikeout and a groundout to keep the Bucs in front 3-2 at the end of three complete.
The Bucs offense tacked on two more in the 4th as Derek Williams was hit by a pitch on the second pitch of the inning and two batters later Nate Earley sent one flying over the right field wall for a two run shot to make it 5-2 FSW.
The Bobcats threatened again in the bottom of the 4th as they put two on with one out, but again Rodriguez danced around the trouble, keeping Pasco off the board and the Bucs in front 5-2.
Shaver's big weekend continued in the 5th as he doubled with two outs to keep the inning going for the Bucs before coming around to score on an RBI single from Joel Gardner to make it 6-2 FSW.
Pasco looked like they were ready to make a charge right back into this one in the botto of the 5th as they loaded the bases with nobody out, but Rodriguez again played with fire and didn't get burned, getting a double play ball before giving the ball over to Colin Brodeur who got a groundout to extinguish the flames and keep the Bucs comfortably in front 6-2.
FSW added an insurance run in the 7th on a sacrifice fly from Rivera, but they didn't need it as Brodeur picked up a pair of strikeouts in a scoreless 7th to close it out and preserve a 7-2 win for the Bucs.
For the second straight game the Bucs were outhit by the Bobcats as Pasco talled 11 knocks to just 6 for FSW. Shaver was the star of the show yet again offensively for the Bucs as he finished 2-4 with a double, a homer, three RBIs and two runs scored. Rodriguez went 2 2/3 scoreless, but hairraising innings to earn his first career win while Brodeur notched his first career save with 2 1/3 innings of scoreless work to close things out.
The Bucs have now won four straight to improve to 9-6 on the season while Pasco falls to 8-6.
FSW is back in action four times next week as they host St. Petersburg and A3 Academy at 2:00 Tuesday and Wednesday at Buccaneers Park before hitting the road to take on Polk and Seminole State Friday ad Saturday afternoons in Winter Haven and Sanford.