FORT MYERS, Fla.- Abel Albarran and Josiah Velazquez combined on a five hit shutout as the #6 Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers blanked the Seminole State Raiders 6-0 in the opening game of a three game series Thursday at Buccaneers Park in Fort Myers. 

 

The Bucs cracked the scoreboard first as Jake Mueller and Carlos Sanchez started the 2^nd inning with singles and Nik Pereira knocked them both in with a single of his own to give FSW an early 2-0 lead.  After swiping second and advancing to third on a fly ball to the outfield, Pereira scored on a wild pitch to up the Bucs lead to 3-0 at the end of two complete.  

 

Bucs starter Abel Albarran fired a 1-2-3 top of the 3^rd and FSW continued to add on in the bottom of the inning as Mueller launched a two out,  two run home run to left to bump the Bucs lead to 5-0. 

 

Pereira cranked a solo home run out to the Bucs bullpen in the 4^th to make it a 6-0 game and it looked like FSW was ready for the knockout blow, loading the bases with nobody out after the homer, but three straight outs left the pillows packed at inning's end with the Bucs leading it 6-0. 

 

Albarran continued to mow through the Raider lineup in the middle innings, striking out three in scoreless 5^th and 6^th innings to keep the Bucs in front 6-0. 

 

Albarran exited after six and gave way to the Bucs bullpen and the results stayed the same as Josiah Velazquez came in and worked a 1-2-3 frame to keep it a 6-0 game to stretch time. 

 

The Bucs didn't score again, but it didn't matter as Velazquez remained dialed in, retiring the size in order again in the 8^th before facing the minimum in the 9^th to close things out and finish off the shutout.  

 

Albarran fired six shutout innings to earn his second win of the year, allowing just four hits and striking out seven to improve to 2-1. Velazquez earned his second save in a week, needing just 29 pitches to get through three spotless innings. 

 

Pereira had a big day at the plate, going a perfect 3-3 with a homer and three RBIs while also stealing two bases. Mueller was 2-4 with his sixth home run of the season. 

 

The Bucs win their third straight to improve to 22-6 on the year while bumping their Citrus Conference record to 9-4.  Seminole drops to 17-11 overall and 7-6 in league play with the loss. 

 

The same two teams will hook up Saturday in Sanford with a doubleheader scheduled for a noon first pitch.