MIAMI SHORES, Fla. -- Oh, what a difference a day makes! After giving up 18 runs and 25 hits in Friday night's loss, the Barry Buccaneers bounced back behind some extraordinary pitching and defense on Saturday to sweep the doubleheader from the Embry-Riddle Eagles 2-0 and 11-1 to take the Sunshine State Conference series two games to one.
INSIDE THE MATCHUP
Final: Barry 2-11, Embry-Riddle 0-1
Records: Barry (28-16, 15-12 SSC), Embry-Riddle (26-17, 15-9 SSC)
All-Time Series: Barry leads 9-5
WHAT THEY'RE SAYING:
"I thought our pitching sand defense did an outstanding job keeping us in both games and gave us the chance to score the runs we needed to take the series from the league-leaders. I think we showed so much heart coming back from last night's loss. We could have packed it in, but we showed that we can bounce back with a will to win." -- Head Coach Juan Ranero
SUMMARY:
GAME ONE:
NOTEWORTHY:
- Frank II Gonzalez (6-2) tossed eight shutout innings, scattering four hits and a walk and striking out three to earn the win in game one. He used just 88 pitches, 57 of them for strikes.
- Hugo Casilla came on after Kyle Gutveg led off the ninth with a single to induce John Devine to hit into a double play and get Kyle Marsh to pop out to second to eand the game. He piked up his 10th save of the season, tying Brian Heuther's school record set in 1997.
- Payton Rice (3-6) took the loss for the Eagles. In six innings, he gave up two runs (one earned) on eight hits and two walks.
- Andrew Rapoza, Chris Cabrera and Perez each had two hits to lead the Bucs.
SUMMARY:
GAME TWO:
- B1 - The Bucs opened the second game strong, as the first four batters reached base, including hits for Andrew Rapoza, Matos and Lamazares off Eagle starter Samuel Brunnig. Lamzares drove in Rapoza with a base hit down the left field line. Matos scored on a fly ball and Richie Sobalvarro knocked in Lamazares with a single to right. | Barry 3, ERAU 0
- B2 - Arrison Perez walked and Rapoza chased Brunning with a base hit to left. After a bunt by Matos advanced the runners, Lamazares poked another single down the right field line, this time driving in two runs. | Barry 5, ERAU 0
- B3 - Sobalvarro and Derek Smolenski had back-to-back doubles with one out. | Barry 6, ERAU 0
- B4 - Perez drew another lead off walk and Rapoza followed with a single to center. After Perez moved up on a fly ball, Rapoza stole second. Lamazares plated Perez with a hit to left and moved up to second when Zach Howard misplayed the ball. Chris Cabrera delivered a two-run single to push the lead. | Barry 9, ERAU 0
- T6 - Guttveg hit a lead-off homer. | Barry 9, ERAU 1
- B6 - Perez continued to shine, leading off with a single to reach base safely for the sixth straight time. Rapoza beat out an infield single on a slow roller to second. Matos followed with a RBI single up the middle, sending Rapoza to third. Rapoza scored, after tagging on a fly ball, when Eagle catcher Luis Olivier dropped the throw from Guttveg. | Barry 11, ERAU 1
NOTEWORTHY:
- Erislandy Rives (4-1) worked six masterful innings, holding the Eagles to a run on five hits. He did not walk a batter, but struck out three. He threw just 61 pitches, 49 for strikes.
- Amilcar Yanez, Anthony Boix and Myles Gayman each worked an inning in relief to seal the win.
- Brunnig (3-1) was tagged for five runs on five hits and two walks in one-plus innings. He allowed seven of the 11 batters he faced to reach, after coming into the ball game holding them to a .169 average.
- Rapoza was 5-for-5 and scored four runs. He had seven hits in the doubleheader.
- Perez got a hit in his only at bat, but walked twice and was hit by a pitch, to score three times. He reached base safely all seven times in the two games.
- Lamazares, who drove in the game-winner in game one, was 3-for-4 with four RBI in game two.
- Cabrera had two RBI, while Sobalvarro and Matos each had two hits.
ON THE HORIZON:
The Buccaneers play Tuesday at Palm Beach Atlantic in the final non-conference game of the season, before closing out the slate at Florida Tech on May 4-5.
