April 5, 2025
Bucs Bats Stay Hot to Complete Sweep
The #10 Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers continued to pile up runs on Saturday, putting up 11 runs in both halves of their Citrus Conference doubleheader against the Santa Fe Saints, winning game one 11-8 before taking an 11-9 decision in game two to sweep their second straight conference series and get back to within one game of the league lead with nine games left to go.
GAINESVILLE, Fla.- The #10 Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers continued to pile up runs on Saturday, putting up 11 runs in both halves of their Citrus Conference doubleheader against the Santa Fe Saints, winning game one 11-8 before taking an 11-9 decision in game two to sweep their second straight conference series and get back to within one game of the league lead with nine games left to go.
After being shutout in the series opener on Thursday, Santa Fe took advantage of some sloppiness from the Bucs early on in game one of the doubleheader on Saturday, using three walks an error, and a hit batter with the bases loaded to score the game's first run without the benefit of a hit to take an early 1-0 lead.
The Saints didn't keep the lead long though as Nik Pereira doubled to begin the FSW 2nd and scored on a single from reigning National Player of the Week Carlos Canchez to tie the score at 1. Nathan Fink rifled a double the other way to bring home Sanchez and later in the inning the Bucs tacked on a third run to take a 3-1 lead at the end of an inning and a half of action.
A two out RBI triple for the Saints in the bottom of the 2nd made it a 3-2 game and it remained that way after both teams went down in order in the 3rd.
The Bucs opened things up a bit in the 4th as they loaded the bases with nobody out before a double to the gap from Brock Knoerr brought home a pair and made it a 5-2 game.
An RBI double from Michael McAloose in the 5th upped the Bucs lead to 6-2, but Santa Fe answered with four in the bottom of the 5th to tie things back up at 6-6.
McAloose broke the tie in the 6th with a bases loaded RBI single to left to put the Bucs back in front 7-6 but a double play ended the FSW threat there.
The Bucs bullpen couldn't hold the lead as Santa Fe scored two in the bottom of the 6th to retake an 8-7 lead in the back and forth affair.
FSW wasn't going to be denied on this day though as down to their final out of the game, Jake Mueller ripped an RBI double to tie the score at 8 and three pitches later Pereira launched a two run home run to left to put the Bucs back in front 10-8. They weren't done there though as a walk, a passed ball, and a Santa Fe error allowed the Bucs to score their fourth run of the inning to put them up 11-8 at stretch time.
With an ailing bullpen between injuries and sickness, the Bucs went to an unfamiliar late inning arm to try to finish things out in Brandon Eldridge, but he channeled his best Mariano Rivera, mowing through the heart of the Saints order in the 7th to close things out and give FSW an 11-8 win.
The Bucs outhit the Saints 13-9 in the contest with four different players notching multi-hit games. Knoerr and Pereira led the way, both recording three hits and two RBIs while McAloose finished 2-3 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Delvison Reyes picked up his first career win on the mound with a scoreless inning of relief while Eldridge notched his first save of the year with the 1-2-3 7th.
The Bucs jumped on the Saints right away in game two as Mueller doubled and Pereira singled on back to back pitches to drive in runs and give FSW a quick 2-0 lead in the 1st. Two batters later Fink singled the other way to drive home Pereira ahead of a two run home run from Luke Orfi to put the Bucs up 5-0 before Santa Fe got to hit for the first time.
Mueller continued his big day with an RBI single in the 2nd to make it a 6-0 game and Bucs starter Parker Burgess worked a quick 1-2-3 bottom of the inning to keep it a 6-0 contest in favor of the Bucs at the end of two.
Santa Fe started their climb up the hill in the 3rd as they loaded the bases with one out before back to back walks forced runs home and made it a 6-2 game. A sacrifice fly plated the Saints third run of the inning before the Bucs went to the bullpen to get out of the jam and hold the lead at 6-3 after three.
Three straight singles from Knoerr, Mueller, and Pereira netted the Bucs another run in the 4th to make it a 7-3 game, but for the second straight inning Santa Fe loaded the bases and scored three times to cut the Bucs lead back to one at 7-6.
The shootout continued in the middle innings as Anthony Ruocco knocked in a run on an RBI double in the 5th to make it an 8-6 game before RBI singles from Sanchez and Fink in the 6th cushioned the FSW advantage to 10-6 after 5 1/2.
Santa Fe put together a rally in the bottom of the 6th with four straight two out hits to score three times to make it a one run game before FSW reliever Brett Dennis dialed up a huge strikeout to strand the bases loaded and keep the Bucs in front 10-9 after six complete innings of action.
After two quick outs in the FSW half of the 7th Mueller launched a solo home run to deep left to put the Bucs back up two, 11-9 at stretch time.
Nicholas Lorenz came in out of the FSW bullpen and gave the Bucs a big zero in the bottom of the 7th and then worked a 1-2-3 bottom of the 8th with a pair of strikeouts to keep it an 11-9 game.
Ruocco singled to lead off the FSW 9th as they looked for some insurance, but they couldn't push him around and the game headed to the bottom of the 9th with FSW still clinging to an 11-9 lead.
Lorenz looked like a wily veteran in the 9th, picking up two quick outs and pitching around a two out single with a big strikeout with the tying run at the plate to give FSW a wild 11-9 win to complete the series sweep.
The Bucs banged out 20 hits in the win with each of the first seven hitters in the Buccaneers order recording multi-hit games. Mueller finished 4-6, missing the cycle by just a triple, while driving in three and scoring twice. Pereira, Fink, and Orfi each finished with three hits and all drove in a pair. Lorenz saved the Bucs out of the bullpen, throwing three scoreless innings, allowing just two hits while striking out four to earn his first career victory.
The Bucs second straight Citrus Conference sweep moves them to 31-9 overall on the year while pushing them to 17-7 in league play where they pick up two games on conference leading Indian River to cut the Pioneers lead at the top to just one game with nine to go. Santa Fe finishes a disappointing weekend 19-22 while dropping to 10-14 in Citrus Conference play where they fall to 9th place in the league standings.
FSW will play their first non-conference game in three weeks their next time out when they travel to Avon Park to take on South Florida State Tuesday for a 5 PM first pitch before returning to Citrus Conference play next weekend in a crucial series against #19 Central Florida.