MARION COUNTY, FL (352today.com) – The three-game Citrus Conference series between the first place College of Central Florida Patriots (29-16, 20-7) and the second place Florida Southwestern State College Buccaneers (30-12, 18-9) brought the thrills as each game’s outcome wasn’t decided until the final pitch.
The Pats followed their seasonal script of late losing game one but coming back to sweep the weekend.
The series started on Thursday, April 9, 2026, in Ocala, but mother nature came calling in the bottom of the first inning and the game had to be resumed on Friday. CF jumped to a 1-0 lead in the first when Talan Beckford stole second and third base, then scored on a passed ball by the Buccaneers’ catcher. CF starting pitcher Jake Meadows held the hot-hitting Bucs in check for six shutout innings, allowing only three hits while striking out five. FSW relief pitcher, Cole Greer was just as good, going 6.2 innings, allowing three hits, no runs, with three strikeouts. FSW tied the game at 1-1 in the eighth inning on an error by the Pats and won it in the tenth inning on an RBI single by Robbie Demetree.
The series moved to Ft. Myers on Saturday where the two teams played two intense playoffs like atmosphere games. In the first bout, back-to-back doubles by Bruno Schafer and Brett House gave the Pats a 1-0 lead in the second inning. A bunt single by Ignacio Salaverria, two FSW errors, and an RBI groundout by Victor Martinez plated three more runs for a 4-0 lead in the third. With the score at 6-2 after Salaverria’s RBI double in the top of the sixth inning of the scheduled seven inning game, Pats starter Kaiden Lopez (5.2 IP, 10H, 5R, 5K) handed the ball to relief pitcher Niko Janssens, cutting the lead down to one. Janssens would close the door on the Bucs pitching the final 1.1 innings allowing no hits, no runs with one strikeout to preserve the 6-5 win and earn his sixth save of the season.
In game two, Pats catcher Gio Mendoza was the hero, going 3 for 4 with two clutch two-out two-run singles late in the game to lead the Pats to a 6-4 win. CF scored all their runs in the last three innings and built a 6-1 lead behind the pitching of Jay Jung (6.1 IP, 4H, R, 3K). Salaverria went 4 for 5 and Beckford had a clutch RBI single. FSW scored two runs and loaded the bases with no outs in the ninth inning when the Pats called on relief pitcher Richard Bello. After allowing an RBI single, Bello got two strikeouts and a groundout to end the threat and give the Pats the series win and a two-game lead in the Citrus Conference.