March 22, 2023
Titans Take Down Bucs in Series Opener
The Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers couldn't overcome a seven run 7th inning by the Eastern Florida State Titans Wednesday night at Bruce Bochy Field in Melbourne as the Titans took the series opener between the two 9-5 to tighten up the Southern Conference standings at the 1/3 mark of the league schedule.
MELBOURNE, Fla.- The Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers couldn't overcome a seven run 7th inning by the Eastern Florida State Titans Wednesday night at Bruce Bochy Field in Melbourne as the Titans took the series opener between the two 9-5 to tighten up the Southern Conference standings at the 1/3 mark of the league schedule.
Eastern struck right away, pushing a 1st inning run across on a one out single, a stolen base, and an FSW error to take an early 1-0 lead.
The Titans threatened again in the 2nd, loading the bases on three FSW walks before a line out to AJ Shaver in right field ended the threat and kept it a 1-0 game.
The Bucs leveled the score in the 4th as Derek Williams lifted off on his ninth home run of the season deep and out to center to get FSW even at 1-1.
The Bucs had a chance to take the lead in the 5th as back to back one out singles put a man in scoring position, but a groundout and a fly out ended the threat and kept it a 1-1 game.
Eastern took over in the 6th with three straight singles to load the bases with nobody out before a pair of singles and a passed ball allowed four runs to come home to make it 5-1. They weren't done yet though as another passed ball make it 6-1 and a two out single back up the middle plated two more to make it 8-1 at the end of six.
A two run home run from Albert Serrano in the 7th got FSW back into it at 8-3 at stretch time, but Eastern got one back in the bottom half to make their lead five once again at 9-3.
Williams singled home a run in the 8th to make it 9-4 and Aries Samek legged out an infield hit in the 9th to make it 9-5, but the game ended with the tying run in the on deck circle as the Bucs fell 9-5 in the series opener.
The Titans outhit the Bucs 12-9 in the game while FSW pitching issued nine free passes, seven walks and two hit batters. Serrano finished 3-4 with a double, a home run, and two RBIs while Williams homered and drove home two of his own in the loss. For the first time in a month, the Bucs bullpen was hit hard, allowing eight runs, all earned, in 3 2/3 innings of work. Yeoshua Garcia was collared with the loss, allowing five runs and five hits in just one inning, falling to 0-2 on the year.
FSW drops to 21-12 overall and 4-3 in Southern Conference play with the defeat while Eastern Florida improves to 17-15 overall and 4-5 in league play.
The Bucs and Titans will go back at it Friday and Saturday at Buccaneers Park in Fort Myers with first pitch scheduled for 2:00 Friday and the series finale at noon on Saturday.