March 19, 2024
Bucs Tripped Up In Non-League Action
The Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers allowed just three hits Tuesday night on the road at State College of Florida, but 11 walks, three hit batters, and a pair of errors allowed the Manatees to come away with a 7-2 win over the Bucs in non-conference action at Wynn Field in Bradenton.
BRADENTON, Fla.- The Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers allowed just three hits Tuesday night on the road at State College of Florida, but 11 walks, three hit batters, and a pair of errors allowed the Manatees to come away with a 7-2 win over the Bucs in non-conference action at Wynn Field in Bradenton.
The Bucs took a 1st inning lead without a hit in their first at bats of the evening, using a pair of walks and a stolen base to manufacture a run and take an early 1-0 lead.
The Manatees answered back in the 2nd , using a pair of walks, a hit batter, and a two out double to score their first run of the night to tie the game at 1-1.
The Bucs drew four walks in the top of the 3rd but didn't score thanks to a runner being thrown out trying to steal to keep it a 1-1 game after 2 1/2.
The bottom of the 3rd was an inning the Bucs would like to forget as State College of Florida plated four runs without hitting the ball out of the infield, using four walks and a pair of FSW errors to push in front for the first time in the contest at 5-1.
Unfortunately, it was more of the same for FSW in the 4th as again, a hit batter, two walks, and a pair of wild pitches allowed SCF to push three more across to stretch their lead to 7-1 after four.
A leadoff home run from Justin Thomas to begin the FSW 5th gave the Bucs some life and FSW loaded the bases with one out in the 7th as they looked to get back into the game, but a double play ended the threat and kept the Manatees comfortably in front 7-2.
Bucs reliever Ryan Grzesiak kept SCF right there in the 7th and 8th frames, but the Bucs offense couldn't push anything across to threaten late as the Manatees went on to win it 7-2.
FSW outhit SCF 7-3 in the contest, but 14 Bucs free passes and two big errors cost them in the loss to the Manatees. Thomas and Jared Davis had two hits each for FSW while Grzesiak and Landon O'Donnell combined for 4 1/3 scoreless innings out of the bullpen in the defeat. Alex Walsh suffered the loss on the mound, falling to 1-3 on the year, allowing three hits and seven runs, three earned, in 3 2/3 innings pitched.
The Bucs fall to 20-11 on the year while SCF improves to 18-13.
FSW will turn their attention back to Citrus Conference play on Thursday when they host Eastern Florida in a 3 PM start from Buccaneers Park in Fort Myers.