March 10, 2024
Bucs Launch Six Homers In Doubleheader Split
The #17 Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers launched six home runs in their Saturday doubleheader with the State College of Florida Manatees but it was only good enough for a split as the Bucs took game one 11-5 before seeing the Manatees storm back with a seven run 7th in game two to win the game 13-7 and take the series 2-1.
BRADENTON, Fla.- The #17 Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers launched six home runs in their Saturday doubleheader with the State College of Florida Manatees but it was only good enough for a split as the Bucs took game one 11-5 before seeing the Manatees storm back with a seven run 7th in game two to win the game 13-7 and take the series 2-1.
The Bucs and Manatees traded solo homers early on in game one of the doubleheader as SCF got a one out solo shot to take a lead in the 2nd before FSW's Justin Thomas answered with a solo shot of his own to lead off the 3rd to tie the game at 1.
The Manatees retook the lead in the bottom of the inning, taking advantage of a leadoff hit batter and a two out single to make it a 2-1 game at the end of three complete.
The Bucs leveled the score when Eric Blair legged out an infield single to bring home a run in the 4th to make it 2-2 and two batters later Victor Figueroa launched a grand slam out the other way to give the Bucs their first lead of the game at 6-2.
FSW starter Jordan Huskey threw up two big zeros behind the five spot to keep it a 6-2 game through the 5th and Cooper Clapp pulled a leadoff homer out to right to start the Bucs 6th to extend the lead to 7-2.
Huskey finished his afternoon with a 1-2-3 bottom of the 6th on just five pitches and the Bucs got their third home run to lead off an inning in the 7th as Nate Earley drilled a 2-1 pitch deep and out to give the Bucs some insurance and put them up 8-2. They weren't done yet though as they scored two more runs on wild pitches and then Blair lifted a sacrifice fly to center to cushion the lead to 11-2 at stretch time.
The leadoff home run trend continued in the bottom half of the 7th as the Manatees got another leadoff blast and a two run double later in the inning made things interesting as they cut the Bucs lead to 11-5. The Bucs went to the bullpen for the second time in the inning and called upon Nate Ward to finish things off and that he did, picking up a strikeout and getting a line out to close things out and give FSW an 11-5 win to even the series at a game apiece.
Eight different Bucs finished with a hit in the win while Michael McAloose and Eric Blair had two each. Figueroa, Thomas, Earley, and Clapp all launched home runs in the win. Huskey earned the win on the mound, going six innings and allowing just three hits and two runs to improve to 4-1 on the year.
Another leadoff home run started the scoring in game two as the Manatees got a solo shot to begin their half of the 1st to take an early 1-0 lead on the Bucs.
FSW got three straight two out walks in the top of the 2nd to load the bases, but couldn't push anything across and SCF loaded the bases with two outs as well in their half of the inning before an FSW walk forced a run home to give the Manatees a 2-0 lead after two.
Figueroa cranked his state leading 10th home run out the other way on the first pitch he saw in the 3rd to level the score at 2.
The Bucs loaded the bases again in the 4th with two outs, but a strikeout ended the threat and kept the game tied at 2.
A pair of doubles and a sac fly for the Manatees in the 4th put SCF back in front, but nothing other than a leadoff home run for FSW in the 5th, this one from Luca Danos drew the teams even once again at 3 midway through the contest.
The game didn't stay tied for long though as SCF took advantage of an FSW error with one out in the 5th to score twice and go back in front 5-3.
The Bucs loaded the bases once again in the 6th, this time without hitting a ball in fair territory, taking advantage of a pair of walks and a hit batter to load them up before Blair was thumped by a pitch to force home a run and make it a 5-4 game. Unfortunately for the Bucs, they couldn't get a hit behind it, leaving three runners on while trailing 5-4 at the end of six.
FSW leveled the score once again in the 7th on an RBI single from Jared Davis to make it a 5-5 game and later in the inning Figueroa continued his tear with a two run single to put the Bucs in front 7-5 at stretch time.
The lead was short lived for the Bucs as the first three SCF hitters of their half of the 7th reached base before an error allowed one run to scored, a walk forced in the tying run and two pitches later a grand slam put the Manatees back in front 11-7.
The blow was too much for the Bucs to absorb as SCF scored two more and FSW never scored again as the Manatees went on to finish off a 13-7 victory to win the series two games to one.
Hits were even at nine apiece in the game, but FSW committed the only three errors of the game, allowing five unearned Manatee runs to score in the contest. Figueroa led the way with a 3-4, four RBI game while Earley also went 3-4 while scoring a run. The Bucs weren't able to get a scoreless outing from any of their five pitchers in the contest with Brandon Gonsalves suffering the loss, allowing three hits and four runs in 1 2/3 innings pitched to fall to 3-1 on the year.
The Bucs drop their first Citrus Conference series of the year to fall to 18-8 overall and 9-3 in league play where they still hold a one game lead on second place Indian River. State College of Florida improves to 17-9 overall and 7-5 in league play to get back to within two games of the Bucs for the top spot.
FSW will travel to Indian River Tuesday for a non-conference contest before returning to Citrus Conference play Thursday when they make the trip to Seminole State to start a three game set with the Raiders.