March 20, 2023
Bruised & Battered Bucs Run Past Trojans
The Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers were hit by a school record 10 pitches and stole seven bases as they ran past the visiting A3 Academy Trojans 11-1 in a seven inning run rule at Buccaneers Park Monday afternoon.
FORT MYERS, Fla.- The Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers were hit by a school record 10 pitches and stole seven bases as they ran past the visiting A3 Academy Trojans 11-1 in a seven inning run rule at Buccaneers Park Monday afternoon.
FSW Tyler Kennedy was locked in early on, striking out the first two hitters of the game before getting a pop out in a quick 1-2-3 top half of the 1st for the Bucs.
The Bucs got on the board right away as Sergio Rivera legged out a hustle double before moving to third on a wild pitch. AJ Shaver and Albert Serrano were hit by pitches before another wild pitch plated Rivera to put the Bucs in front 1-0.
After another quick inning for Kennedy in the 2nd, it was more of the same for the Bucs in the bottom half of the inning. Yariel Diaz was hit by a pitch and moved to second on a wild pitch. He scooted up 90 more feet on another fastball wide of the zone and scored on an infield single from Rivera to make it 2-0.
The Trojans got on the scoreboard in the 3rd, taking advantage of a leadoff walk and a two out single to cut the Bucs lead in half at 2-1.
FSW got that run back and then some in the 3rd as they loaded the bases on a pair of walks and a hit batter before Eddie-Boe Rodriguez walked to force a run home. A sac fly from Diaz and a bloop single from Aries Samek tacked on two more to make it 5-1 FSW. Back to back hit batters reloaded the bases before Albert Serrano lined a triple to the wall in right to clear the bases and blow it open to an 8-1 contest. Derek Williams doubled home Serrano to make it 9-1 and Austin Douglas lined a single off the third baseman's glove to score him later in the inning to make it 10-1 FSW when all the dust settled.
Kennedy allowed a leadoff double in the 4th but beared down from there, striking out three straight Trojan hitters to strand the runner at second and keep the Bucs well in front.
Rivera was thumped by another pitch with one out in the 4th and stole second before coming around to score on an RBI double from Serrano to make it 11-1 Bucs. Williams was also hit by a pitch on a 3-2 offering, but was inexplicably called not only back, but out, putting it in the scorebook as a strikeout to end the inning.
Reyn Watson came in out of the FSW bullpen in the 5th and couldn't have been any better; literally. Watson struck out the first two hitters he faced on three straight pitches before finishing off an immaculate inning with nine strikes on nine pitches and three strikeouts to keep the Bucs up 11-1 midway through.
Jahir Perez came in out of the Bucs bullpen to finish things off in the 7th, punching out a pair in a scoreless frame to kick in the run rule at stretch time with the Bucs winning it 11-1.
The Bucs outhit the Trojans 8-2 in the win, but it was not them getting hits, but them getting hit, that as the story. FSW hitters were drilled by 10 pitches in the game, a new program record while also swiping seven bases, including three from Rivera and two from Shaver, in the win. Serrano led the offense, going 2-3 with a double, a triple, and four RBIs. Kennedy earned the win on the mound, going four innings and allowing just two hits and one run while striking out a career high nine to improve to 2-3 on the year. Watson, Perez, and Zach Locke combined for three innings of hitless relief, striking out six to close things out.
FSW improves to 21-11 on the year with the win while A3 falls to 1-5 against NJCAA competition.
The Bucs will look to extend upon their Southern Conference lead on Wednesday when they take the field next on the road in Melbourne where they begin a three game set with the Titans of Eastern Florida at Bruce Bochy Field.