March 15, 2025
Bucs Split Saturday to Take Series
For the second straight week, the #6 Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers fell flat in game one of their Saturday doubleheader, but woke up and put up a big number in game two as they split a pair of games with Seminole State, losing game one 5-1 and winning game two 13-8 to clinch another Citrus Conference series win to keep them within one game of the conference lead.
SANFORD, Fla.- For the second straight week, the #6 Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers fell flat in game one of their Saturday doubleheader, but woke up and put up a big number in game two as they split a pair of games with Seminole State, losing game one 5-1 and winning game two 13-8 to clinch another Citrus Conference series win to keep them within one game of the conference lead.
The Bucs had their first scoring chance of game one in the 2nd when Nathan Fink doubled and Michael McAloose walked to put two on with two out, but a pop out ended the threat and kept the game scoreless.
Seminole cracked the scoreboard first in the 3rd, loading the bases with one out on a pair of walks and a single to center before a wild pitch scored one run and a dropped fly ball in the outfield allowed two more to score to make it 3-0 Raiders after three.
The Bucs broke up the shutout bid in the 5th as Brock Knoerr drove home Anthony Ruocco who doubled earlier in the inning to make it a 3-1 game.
Seminole answered in the bottom of the inning with two more, taking advantage of an FSW error for the second straight inning to bump their lead to 5-1.
The Bucs put two on in the 6th but couldn't push anything across and it would be their last scoring chance as they went down in order in the top of the 7th as Seminole took the opener 5-1.
The game featured just nine total hits, five for FSW and four for Seminole. Ruocco and Knoerr each had two hits for the Bucs in the defeat. Andrew McLaughlin suffered his second straight loss on the mound, going four innings and allowing just one hit, but walking three and hitting one to fall to 5-2 on the year.
The Bucs needed just three pitches in game two to match their game one offensive production as Ruocco launched a solo shot to dead center to lead off the game and give the Bucs a quick 1-0 lead.
Unfortunately for the Bucs, the lead didn't last long as a leadoff walk in the bottom of the 1st followed by a two run home run to put the Raiders in front 2-1.
The Bucs had traffic again in the 3rd and got a run on a passed ball, but for the second straight inning their half of the inning ended on the basepaths, this time with the score tied 2-2.
FSW kept the pressure on the Raiders in the 4th as Fink singled and Luke Orfi doubled to quickly put two runners in scoring position with nobody out. Devin Parks cashed the first run in with a single to left and later in the inning Ruocco did the same to put the Bucs ahead 4-2. Knoerr came through with an RBI single with two outs to give FSW a 5-2 lead at the end of 3 1/2.
The Bucs blew the lead open in the 5th as Nik Pereira launched a two run home run and later on Ruocco cleared the bases with a triple to center and scored two pitches later on an RBI knock from Knoerr to make it 12-3 FSW midway through.
Seminole got right back in the game in the 6th though, popping a pair of home runs and taking advantage of another dropped fly ball by the Bucs to close the gap to 12-8 at the end of six.
A Raider error allowed the Bucs to scored an insurance run in the 8th, but they wouldn't need it as Nicholas Lorenz fired a 1-2-3 8th and Josiah Velazquez did the same in the 9th to close it out for FSW as the Bucs went on to win 13-8 to take the series two games to one.
Ruocco had a monster game at the top of the Bucs lineup, going 4-5 with a triple, a home run, and five RBIs, missing the cycle by only a double. Knoerr finished 3-5 with two RBIs and Parks was 2-4 with two RBIs. Cole Greer worked four innings in relief to earn the win for FSW to improve to 2-1 on the year.
FSW moves to 23-7 overall and 10-5 in Citrus Conference play through five conference series while Seminole State exits the weekend 18-12 overall and 8-7 in league action.
The Bucs will step out of conference action on Tuesday against a conference opponent as they take on State College of Florida at home at Buccaneers Park in non-league play in a 3 PM first pitch.