January 29, 2025
Bucs Swing Way Past Panthers
The #4 Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers pounded out 19 hits and scored multiple runs in five different innings in a 15-4 route of Palm Beach State Wednesday afternoon in Lake Worth.
LAKE WORTH, Fla.- The #4 Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers pounded out 19 hits and scored multiple runs in five different innings in a 15-4 route of Palm Beach State Wednesday afternoon in Lake Worth.
The Bucs wasted little time on jumping all over Palm Beach as FSW's first four hitters of the top half of the 1st inning reached base with a pair of runs scoring on Panther miscues and the third on an RBI single from Jonah St. Antoine to give the Bucs a 3-0 lead before Palm Beach got to hit for the first time.
Bucs starter Brandon Eldridge fired a quick 1-2-3 bottom of the 1st and FSW was back at it in the 2nd as back to back one out RBI singles from St. Antoine and Nathan Fink double the Bucs lead to 6-0 at the end of an inning and a half.
FSW continued to put pressure on the Panthers as once again the Bucs first four hitters of the fourth inning reached base with Carlos Sanchez driving in a run to make it a 7-0 game. Later in the inning Fink picked up his third RBI of the game with a sacrifice fly to push it to an 8-0 contest in favor of the Bucs.
Palm Beach took advantage of Eldridge's departure in the 4th, scoring three times to cut into the Bucs lead and make it an 8-3 game.
It stayed an 8-3 game to the 6th when the Bucs put things out of reach, getting back to back RBI doubles from Jake Mueller and Anthony Ruocco to pad the lead to 11-3 before RBI singles from Ty Hamilton and Brock Knoerr blew it open to a 13-3 FSW lead.
Palm Beach fought off the run rule for the time being with a run in the 6th , but another RBI double from Ruocco followed by an RBI groundout from Luke Orfi later in the inning to drive him home put the Bucs on top 15-4 in the 8th.
Beau Brailey took the ball for the Bucs in the 8th and finished things off from there, working around a one out single to put up a goose egg and close things out, kicking in the run rule in eight with a 15-4 win for FSW.
All nine FSW starters had a hit as the Bucs banged out 19 hits including six for extra bases in the win. St. Antoine and Hamilton had four hits a piece for the Bucs to lead the way while each accounted for three runs. Knoerr was on base five times for FSW, going 2-2 with three walks and three runs scored. Ruocco and Fink had three RBIs each.
Eldridge earned the win on the mound, going three strong innings and allowing just one hit to pick up his first collegiate victory.
FSW improves to 2-1 on the year with the win while Palm Beach falls to 1-4.
The Bucs are back in action this weekend at home in Fort Myers as they host Chattahoochee Valley in a three game series. Friday the Bucs and Pirates will play at FGCU's Swanson Stadium beginning at 6 PM with Saturday and Sunday shifting to Buccaneers Park on the FSW campus with start times scheduled for 2 PM Saturday and noon Sunday.