May 10, 2025
Bucs Get Past Pats to Advance to FCSAA Championship Game
For the first time in program history, the #6 Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers will play for an FCSAA Championship on Sunday after defeating #24 Central Florida 5-2 in the semifinals on Saturday to punch their ticket to the title game.
PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla.- For the first time in program history, the #6 Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers will play for an FCSAA Championship on Sunday after defeating #24 Central Florida 5-2 in the semifinals on Saturday to punch their ticket to the title game.
FSW starter Cole Greer got the Bucs off to a good start, putting up a pair of zeros to begin the ballgame and FSW took advantage, getting an RBI single from Luke Orfi and a two out, two run single to right from Anthony Ruocco in the 2nd to give the Bucs a 3-0 lead at the end of two.
A pair of free passes came back to haunt the Bucs in the 3rd as the Patriots scored twice on just one hit in the inning to get back into the game, but Greer dialed up a big strikeout to strand a pair and close out the 3rd to keep the Bucs in front 3-2.
Both teams went down in order in the 4th and Greer worked around a one out walk in the 5th to keep it a 3-2 game at the midway point.
The Bucs added to their lead in the bottom of the 5th as Devin Parks crushed the first pitch he saw deep and out to left center to double their lead to 4-2.
A leadoff single, a sacrifice bunt, and a mental lapse by the Bucs in the 6th put a runner on third with just one out, but with his pitch count pushing over 100, Greer picked a good time to empty the tank, getting a pair of strikeouts to strand the runner there and keep FSW in front 4-2.
The Bucs added some insurance in the bottom of the frame as Carlos Sanchez used his wheels to motor around the bases after a one out single to put himself on third with a chance to extend the lead. They did just that as Nik Pereira reached on a fielder's choice, driving in Sanchez to pad the Bucs lead to 5-2.
After the stellar outing by Greer, the Bucs turned it over to Nicholas Lorenz who worked around a leadoff hit batter in the top of the 7th to send the game to stretch time with FSW still in front 5-2.
Lorenz worked himself in and out of trouble again in the 8th, walking the leadoff man and hitting the next batter to put two on with nobody out and bring the tying run to the plate for the Patriots. But as easy as he got into the mess, he got right out of it, getting a pair of groundouts to Orfi at short and a big strikeout to get out of the frame and keep it a 5-2 game in favor of FSW.
The Bucs looked like they had a chance to add some insurance in the bottom of the inning, putting two on with two out, but they ran themselves out of the inning on a caught stealing at third to end the threat and send the game to the 9th with the Bucs in front 5-2.
Lorenz returned to the mound for the 9th and as he did in the 7th and 8th innings, put a runner on via a free pass to start the frame, but also as he did the two previous innings, he would leave that runner stranded, getting a fly ball to the warning track in right center for the first out of the inning before dialing up back to back strikeouts to end it and give FSW a 5-2 win.
Greer put up a quality start in his biggest start of his FSW career, going six inning and allowing just three hits and to runs while striking out four to earn the win and improve to 6-2 on the year. Lorenz threw three hitless frames to earn his third save of the season.
The Bucs outhit the Patriots 9-3 in the win, getting two hits and two RBIs at the top of the order from Ruocco and two hits and two runs scored from Sanchez.
FSW moves to 43-14 on the year with the victory while Central Florida falls to 37-17.
The Bucs advance to their first FCSAA Championship Game in program history on Sunday where they will take on the winner of the Central Florida/Gulf Coast semifinal matchup at approximately 12:30 PM at Charlotte Sports Park.
If the Bucs were to win Sunday's contest, they would punch their ticket to the Juco World Series in Grand Junction, Colorado, while a loss would force the if necessary game of the tournament which will be played Monday, weather permitting.
