Bucs Launch Four Homers in Rout of Raiders
After a power outage their past eight games, the #11 Florida SouthWestern Buccaneers worked like linemen and got things hooked back up, launching four home runs in a 15-2 blowout of Seminole State to begin a key three game Citrus Conference series Thursday in Fort Myers.
FORT MYERS, Fla.- After a power outage their past eight games, the #11 Florida SouthWestern Buccaneers worked like linemen and got things hooked back up, launching four home runs in a 15-2 blowout of Seminole State to begin a key three game Citrus Conference series Thursday in Fort Myers.
Things didn't exactly start to script for the Bucs as Seminole got a double on the first pitch of the ballgame and loaded the bases with one out before pushing across a pair of 1st inning runs to take an early 2-0 lead.
It didn't take long for the Bucs to get on the board either though as Nick April-Gath shot the second pitch of the bottom of the 1st over the right field wall for a solo home run to cut the Raiders lead in half to 2-1 after one.
The Bucs came out swinging again in the 2nd, loading the bases with nobody out before Keenan Jabeth launched a full count pitch deep and out to center for a grand slam to give FSW their first lead of the afternoon at 5-2. A pair of hit batters set the table for the Bucs once again and Aiden Talarico took advantage, crushing the first pitch he saw over the batting cages in left for a three run home run to give FSW an 8-2 advantage in the blink of an eye.
Settled down after the slow start, FSW starter Cole Greer worked a quick 1-2-3 top of the 3rd and finished it with a strikeout to keep the Bucs up 8-2 after 2 ½.
Jabeth homered for the second time in the game to lead off the FSW 3rd to make it 9-2 and later in the inning Robbie Demetree cracked a two run double down the left field line to open it up to an 11-2 ballgame. The Bucs weren't done yet as Tyler June legged out an infield single to extend the inning and drive home a run and FSW scored their fifth run of the inning on a wild pitch to make it 13-2 Bucs at the end of three.
The Bucs added two more for good measure in the 4th, but they wouldn't need it as Greer finished what he started, striking out a pair in a scoreless top of the 5th to kick in the run rule as FSW closed things out in five 15-2.
The Bucs offense broke out of a little bit of a slump, hammering out 15 hits including six for extra bases in the win. Jabeth led the way, going 2-3 with a pair of home runs and five RBIs while April-Gath went 3-3 with a homer and four runs scored and Demetree finished 2-2 with two runs scored and a pair of RBIs. Greer went the distance on the mound, improving to 4-0 on the year while allowing just four hits and two runs in a 67 pitch complete game.
FSW improves to 31-12 overall and 19-9 in Citrus Conference play where they creep back to within one game of the league lead after Central Florida was tripped up by Polk State on Thursday. Seminole sees their postseason hopes take a huge hit as they fall to 24-22 overall and 12-16 in league play.
The Bucs and Raiders will hook up once again on Saturday at noon in Samford for a pair of contests to close out the series.
