April 6, 2021
Top Ranked Bucs Flex Muscles Against Panthers
The Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers showed why they are the #1 ranked team in the country Tuesday night on the road in Avon Park, blowing out South Florida State 15-3 and 9-0 in a doubleheader sweep to improve to 30-3 on the year.
AVON PARK, Fla.- The Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers showed why they are the #1 ranked team in the country Tuesday night on the road in Avon Park, blowing out South Florida State 15-3 and 9-0 in a doubleheader sweep to improve to 30-3 on the year.
The Bucs got going right away in game one as Rebeca Laudino singled to start the game and scored two batters later when Feline Poot singled to left to give FSW a quick 1-0 advantage.
Laudino got the Bucs going again in the 3rd, leading off with a bunt single and moving up on a single from Lindsey Corbin before stealing third and scoring on a throwing error by the South Florida catcher to give FSW a 2-0 lead. Three pitches later Taylor Jensen lined a single to left to drive in Corbin and put the Bucs up 3-0 at the end of three.
A solo shot from Eliska Stejkalova in the 4th stretched the FSW lead to 4-0 before the Panthers finally showed some life, pushing a pair across in the bottom of the inning to cut the Bucs lead in half to 4-2.
The Bucs put the game away in the 5th as they loaded the bases and pushed a run across with three straight walks before pinch hitter Chelsea Brown crushed a grand slam over the wall in left to blow it open to a 9-2 game.
FSW continued their onslaught in the 6th as Natavia Ellis singled to bring home a two to make it 11-3 and Sterre Den Duijn drove home two more to push it to 13-3. The Bucs got their third two run single of the inning off the bat of Beth Reid to make it 15-3 and Brooke Geiger tossed a scoreless bottom of the 6th to wrap up a run rule win for FSW.
The Bucs outhit the Panthers 14-6 in the win led by Jensen who finished 3-4 with a pair of runs scored and Laudino who was 2-4 with two stolen bases and two runs scored. Sarah Clontz pitched two innings, allowing two hits and one run to earn the win in the circle and improve to 6-0 on the year.
The Bucs didn't waste any time jumping on the Panthers in game two as Jensen ripped an RBI single and Poot scored on a fielder's choice to five FSW a 2-0 lead before South Florida had the chance to hit for the first time.
The Bucs added on in the 3rd as Poot led off the inning with a home run and Brown drove home a run to make it 4-0. FSW scored another run via a fielder's choice later in the inning and after three complete it was 5-0 Bucs.
Alyssa O'Donnell worked a 1-2-3 bottom of the 3rd for FSW in the circle and the Bucs were back at it offensively in their next cracks, getting a leadoff double from Den Duijn and a two run home run from Corbin to push the lead to 7-0.
Owen Bowers tacked on two more with an RBI single in the 5th and Emily Perrin came out of the Bucs bullpen to close things out as FSW finished off the sweep with a 9-0 run rule win in five.
The Bucs pounded out 14 hits in the win. Janessa Plummer was 3-3 with a run scored to pace the offense while Corbin, Poot, and Den Duijn each had two hits and two runs scored. O'Donnell improved to 14-1 on the year in the circle, going 4 1/3 shutout innings, allowing just two hits while striking out four.
The Bucs continue their stranglehold on the Suncoast Conference as they improve to 30-3 overall and 11-0 in conference play where they hold a five game advantage with nine to go. South Florida drops to 7-22 overall and 3-9 in league play.
FSW returns home on Tuesday when they host State College of Florida at City of Palms Park in a Suncoast Conference twinbill beginning at 4 PM.