May 10, 2021
FSW Wins South Atlantic B District Championship, Headed to Nationals
Two years ago, the Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers lost a 2-1 extra innings heartbreaker in the District H Championship game at Soldier's Creek Park in Longwood, Florida, falling one game short of their fourth straight trip to the NJCAA National Tournament. Monday, playing for the South Atlantic B District Title on the same field, they made sure that didn't happen again, jumping out to an early 5-0 lead against #12 Indian River and continued to put the pressure on the Pioneers all game, eventually finishing off a 10-3 win to claim the championship and punch their ticket to the National Tournament in Yuma, Arizona.
LONGWOOD, Fla.- Two years ago, the Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers lost a 2-1 extra innings heartbreaker in the District H Championship game at Soldier's Creek Park in Longwood, Florida, falling one game short of their fourth straight trip to the NJCAA National Tournament. Monday, playing for the South Atlantic B District Title on the same field, they made sure that didn't happen again, jumping out to an early 5-0 lead against #12 Indian River and continued to put the pressure on the Pioneers all game, eventually finishing off a 10-3 win to claim the championship and punch their ticket to the National Tournament in Yuma, Arizona.
The Bucs got off to another quick start behind a speedy top of the lineup as Rebeca Laudino laid down a bunt single on the first pitch of the game and Janessa Plummer did the same behind her to put two on with nobody out just two pitches into the contest. Two batters later Shanika Klett drove Laudino in with a groundout and Taylor Jensen laced a single through the left side to plate Plummer and put FSW in front 2-0 before the Pioneers got to hit for the first time.
After a pair of spectacular defensive plays by the Bucs in the bottom of the 1st, they were right back at it with the sticks in the 3rd as Ellis smacked a single to right to plate a run and Klett launched a two run home run to dead center to make it 5-0 FSW.
Indian River used an FSW error to score three times in the bottom of the 3rd to cut the Bucs lead to 5-3, but FSW answered in the 4th with a three spot of their own, this time using a solo shot from Beth Reid and a perfectly executed squeeze from Ellis to make it 8-3.
Emily Perrin came in out of the Bucs bullpen and silenced the Pioneers from there, retiring all six hitters she faced in the 4th and 5th to allow the Bucs to extend their lead in the 6th with another RBI single from Ellis and a double steal by Sterre Den Duijn and Plummer to make it 10-3.
Perrin did the rest, mowing down the Pioneers like a buzz saw in the final two innings, getting a pop out to left to finish off a 10-3 win for the Bucs.
The Bucs outhit the Pioneers 12-4 in the win with the top of the lineup proving nearly unstoppable for FSW. Laudino finished 3-4 with four runs scored at the top while Plummer was 2-3 with two runs scored and Ellis was 2-3 with three RBIs. Perrin was lights out in the circle, improving to 8-2 on the year with four perfect innings of relief, striking out three.
FSW advances to their fourth NJCAA National Tournament in program history with a 44-4 record while Indian River sees their season come to a close at 30-13.
At the conclusion of the tournament six FSW players were named to the FCSAA State Tournament All-Tournament Team including Alyssa O'Donnell, Natavia Ellis, Shanika Klett, Rebeca Laudino, Janessa Plummer, and Taylor Jensen.
The Bucs will now have an extended break before heading cross country to take on the best the NJCAA has to offer in the 2021 National Tournament in Yuma, Arizona May 25-29.
