February 22, 2024
Cardiac Kids Do It Again
For the second straight game the #16 Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers rode a roller coaster to the finish line at Buccaneers Park in Fort Myers. Thursday it was an 8-0 lead that disappeared before Victor Figueroa hit a 9th inning, game tying home run for the second straight game, before Salvador Alvarez walked the Indian River Pioneers off 13-12 in 12 innings to give FSW their ninth consecutive victory.
FORT MYERS, Fla.- For the second straight game the #16 Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers rode a roller coaster to the finish line at Buccaneers Park in Fort Myers. Thursday it was an 8-0 lead that disappeared before Victor Figueroa hit a 9th inning, game tying home run for the second straight game, before Salvador Alvarez walked the Indian River Pioneers off 13-12 in 12 innings to give FSW their ninth consecutive victory.
It was a pitcher's duel early on as FSW's Alex Walsh and Indian River's Angelo Smith matched zeros through a quick first two innings of action.
Walsh worked another scoreless frame in the top of the 3rd and that was the end of the offense's hibernation.
Michael McAloose started the Bucs 3rd with a drawn out 12 pitch at bat which eventually ended by him getting hit by a pitch to get the Bucs going. Two batters later Justin Thomas lined an RBI double off the right field wall to get the scoring started and after he got new life following a dropped foul ball, FCSAA Player of the Week Nik Pereira made the error hurt with a two run single to left center to make it 3-0 Buccaneers. They weren't done yet though as Salvador Alvarez singled up the middle to drive home a run and make it a 4-0 game and McAloose doubled the FSW lead with one swing as he launched a grand slam over the wall in left to give the Bucs an 8-0 advantage at the end of three innings of play.
Indian River fought back, getting a solo home run to lead off the 4th before plating two more later in the inning to cut the Bucs lead to 8-3.
Back to back ground rule doubles by Pereira and Luca Danos in the FSW 4th got the Bucs a run back to make it a 9-3 game at the end of four.
Three straight Indian River hits to start the 5th forced the Bucs to their bullpen and the Pioneers too advantage, scoring four times to get right back into the game at 9-7 midway through.
The Bucs continued to tack on runs, pushing two more across in the bottom of the 5th, one thanks to an Indian River error to crack double digits and put them in front 11-7.
Indian River brought the tying run to the plate with the bases loaded and one out in the 6th but it looked like the Bucs had averted danger with a ground ball on the infield, unfortunately FSW could not turn the double play and two runs scored after a throwing error on the double play attempt to allow the Pioneers back to within two at 11-9.
After the Bucs went down 1-2-3 in the 6th Indian River finished their ascent in the 7th , scoring three times to erase the Bucs lead and take a 12-11 advantage of their own at stretch time.
Victor Figueroa became just the fourth Buc in history with five hits in a game with a one out single in the 7th, but he was stranded at second at inning's end after back to back looking strikeouts ended the Bucs threat with them trailing 12-11.
Brandon Gonsalves came in out of the Bucs bullpen in the 8th and kept the Pioneers in check, but FSW couldn't push across the equalizer as the game went to the 9th with Indian River continuing to lead it 12-11.
Indian River got a one out single in the top of the 9th as they looked for some insurance, but Bucs catcher Salvador Alvarez erased the runner with a bullet to second to keep it a one run game into the bottom of the 9th.
After a first pitch out to start the FSW 9th the right man came up to the plate as the tying run as Figueroa, who was 5 for his first 5 and was fresh off another game tying 9th inning home run in the Bucs last contest stepped to the plate. After taking a pair of strikes and falling behind 0-2, Figueroa turned around a 93 MPH fastball over the wall in right for a solo home run to tie the score at 12 and send the game to extra innings.
Gonsalves was lights out again in the 10th, working a 1-2-3 frame with a pair of strikeouts, but the Bucs couldn't get anything going in the bottom half as the game remained tied at 12 after 10.
Indian River got a one out single in the 11th to put the go ahead run on, but for the second time in three inning Alvarez came up huge with a dart to second to gun down a base stealer to get the Bucs off the field with a chance to walk it off in the 11th for the second straight game.
Thomas singled with one out and stole second to give the Bucs two cracks at walking it off in the bottom of the 11th, but a strikeout followed by a ground out ended the threat and sent the first game in Buccaneers Park history to the 12th inning tied at 12.
Gonsalves worked his fifth straight scoreless inning in the top of the 12th, slicing through the Pioneer lineup in order to keep the game tied at 12.
Luca Danos put the Bucs in business in the bottom of the 12th as he hooked a leadoff double down the left field line and into the corner and FSW wasted little time to cash the runner in as Alvarez singled through the left side to bring him home and start the celebration as the Bucs earned their second straight extra innings walk off win with a 13-12 victory in 12.
The Bucs finished with 20 hits as a team which broke a program single game record. Figueroa became the first player in program history with six hits in a game as he finished 6-7 with the game tying homer and three runs scored in the win. Danos, Thomas, and Alvarez had three hits apiece with Danos and Thomas scoring a pair of runs and Alvarez driving in two. Periera finished 2-6 with two RBIs giving him at least one hit and one RBI in 10 straight games for FSW.
Gonsalves was outstanding out of the FSW bullpen, going five scoreless innings, allowing just three hits and not walking a batter while striking out four to earn the win and improve to 2-0 on the season.
FSW wins their ninth straight to improve to 12-5 overall on the year while remaining unbeaten in Citrus Conference play at 4-0. Indian River sees their 10 game winning streak snapped as they fall to 10-4 overall and 3-1 in league action.
The Bucs and Pioneers will take a day off before tangling again Saturday afternoon in Fort Pierce with a doubleheader beginning at 1 PM.