January 27, 2024
Bucs Split Pair In Early Bird Classic
A day after watching 30 runs get put on the board and 8 home runs fly out of the yard in their season opener against #6 Northwest Florida State, the name of the game watch pitching and defense for the #16 Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers on Saturday in the Juco Early Bird Classic in Auburndale. In their first game of the day, the Bucs held on late for a 4-2 win over Pasco Hernando before mustering just three hits in a 4-0 loss to Santa Fe to finish opening weekend 1-2.
AUBURNDALE, Fla.- A day after watching 30 runs get put on the board and 8 home runs fly out of the yard in their season opener against #6 Northwest Florida State, the name of the game watch pitching and defense for the #16 Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers on Saturday in the Juco Early Bird Classic in Auburndale. In their first game of the day, the Bucs held on late for a 4-2 win over Pasco Hernando before mustering just three hits in a 4-0 loss to Santa Fe to finish opening weekend 1-2.
In their first game of the day the Bucs sent Arkansas transfer Jordan Huskey to the mound and the southpaw was as advertised early on. Huskey blew through the Pasco Hernando lineup the first time through the order, retiring all nine batters he faced, but the Bucs offense couldn't get anything going either and the game was scoreless through three.
FSW cracked the scoreboard first in the 4th as Eric Blair coaxed a one out walk and came around to score on a two out RBI double from Nate Earley to put the Bucs in front 1-0.
The Bucs added to their lead in the 5th as Jared Davis extended the inning with a two out, two strike single before Justin Thomas ripped a double to the wall in center to drive him home and double the lead to 2-0.
Bucs lefty Reyn Watson kept the Bobcats off the board with his second straight scoreless frame in the bottom of the 5th and FSW doubled their lead in their next trip to the plate as Cooper Clapp walked with the bases loaded and Nik Pereira lifted a sacrifice fly to left to make it 4-0 FSW.
After doing nearly nothing offensively for the first six innings, the Pasco bats came to life in their final at bats in the 7th as they pushed across a run to make it 4-1 before a two out double plated another and put the tying run in scoring position. Bucs lefty Isaac Upole shut it down from there, getting a pop up to center to put it in the bag as FSW held on to win it 4-2 for their first victory of the 2024 season.
The Bucs outhit the Bobcats 8-4 in the win getting two hit games from Davis, Earley, and Blair. Huskey was perfect through three innings on the mound, retiring all nine men he faced while striking out four. Watson earned the win out of the FSW bullpen with two scoreless innings of work while Upole picked up the save to close it out.
Runs were at a premium for the Bucs in their second game of the day as they took on Santa Fe to close out the weekend.
The Saints cracked the scoreboard first in the 2nd, scoring their first run on two FSW errors and a hit batter before making it 2-0 on a two out infield single.
Santa Fe added to their lead in the 3rd with a leadoff double and a rare two base sac fly to go in front 3-0.
The Bucs shot themselves in the foot in the 4th as the Saints tacked on another run without swinging the bat, using a hit batter, a sac bunt, a walk, and a wild pitch to extend their lead to 4-0.
The Bucs put their leadoff man on in the 5th and the 7th but couldn't do anything with it as Santa Fe finished off the shutout 4-0.
Bucs pitching allowed just two hits in the loss, but the FSW offense mustered just three of their own while committing three errors leading to three unearned runs. Alex Walsh took the loss, allowing two hits and three runs, one earned in 2 2/3 innings pitched.
FSW finishes opening weekend 1-2.
The Bucs are back in action on Tuesday in their 2024 home opener when they take on Inspiration Academy in a 2 PM start from Buccaneers Park in Fort Myers.