MIAMI SHORES, Fla.—The #24 Barry Buccaneers rode a strong mid-game performance to an 11-8 win over the Palm Beach Atlantic Sailfish in South Region baseball action at Feinbloom Field on Tuesday night.
The Buccaneers (9-3) scored nine of their 11 runs in the third-sixth innings.
The Sailfish (8-7) jumped out to an early lead off Barry starter Jonathan Hernandez (3-0), plating three runs in the third inning. Jake Summey had a two-run double and Mac Hessney added an RBI single.
The Bucs chipped a run off the lead in the bottom of the frame. Ryan Baldwin singled and came home on a double by Ramon Valdez.
In the third, the Bucs took the lead on a two-out, three-run homer from Baldwin. Khalil Denson and Alex Degoti each singled with two outs and Baldwin lined a shot opposite field for his third homer of the season.
In the fourth, the Sailfish tied the game on a solo homer from Julian Bilodeau.
The Bucs took the lead for good in the bottom of the inning. Valdez had a lead-off double. Mike Diaz followed one out later with a single through the right side. Valdez held up at third, but as Diaz took second on the throw, Sailfish catcher Ryan Johnson air-mailed a throw into centerfield allowing Valdez to score. Diaz came around on a single by Alexis Monge.
Baldwin doubled in DeGoti in the fifth inning to make it 7-4 and the Bucs took advantage of a pair of PBA miscues in the sixth to tack on three more runs. With two outs, Carlos Matamoros drew a walk, stole second and went to third on a balk by Sailfish pitcher Logan White. After a walk to Denson, Degoti bounced a ball down the leftfield line over the head of third baseman Peter Rivera. With DeGoti at first and Denson at second, pitcher Phil DiLandro misfired on a pick play at second and both runners moved up. But centerfielder Summey overran the ball and both Diaz and DeGoti came around to score.
The teams swapped runs in the seventh after lead-off doubles. Marco Perez doubled and scored for the Sailfish on a single by Summey. Jonathan Quintana legged out a double for the Bucs and scored on a ground out by Scott Cosculluella.
Despite giving up three runs over the last two innings, the Bucs' bullpen held on for the save. Lance Elder got the final two outs to preserve the win for Hernandez. Hernandez earned his team-leading third win with six innings of work. He allowed four runs on seven hits and two walks. He struck out two as well.
Matt Picucci (0-2) took the loss for the 'Fish. He allowed six runs (four earned) on nine hits and a walk, while striking out two.
The Bucs, ranked 24th in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers poll, travel to Tampa, Fla., to face the top-ranked Tampa Spartans in their Sunshine State Conference opener this weekend.
