April 9, 2022
Bucs Race to 10-0 in Conference Action
The #3 Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers continued their dominance in Suncoast Conference play Saturday afternoon in Clearwater, sweeping a split doubleheader against Polk State and St. Petersburg to improve to 35-4 overall and a perfect 10-0 in conference action where they now hold a four game lead on the field with ten left to play.
CLEARWATER, Fla.- The #3 Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers continued their dominance in Suncoast Conference play Saturday afternoon in Clearwater, sweeping a split doubleheader against Polk State and St. Petersburg to improve to 35-4 overall and a perfect 10-0 in conference action where they now hold a four game lead on the field with ten left to play.
The day actually didn't get off to the most opportune start for the Bucs as Polk State jumped out with two 1st inning runs to put FSW in an early 2-0 hole in their first contest of the day.
The Bucs got a run back in the 2nd on a successful double steal and scored the equalizer after a Polk error in the 3rd to knot the score up at 2.
FSW starter Samantha Smith worked 1-2-3 frames in both the 3rd and 4th to keep the game tied at 2 and allowed the Bucs to take their first lead of the game in the 5th when Feline Poot singled up the middle to score two and Caroline Figueroa brought home another run to make it a 5-2 game in favor of the Purple and Aqua.
A pair of Polk errors allowed the Bucs to plate an insurance run in the 6th, but they didn't need it as Smith worked out of trouble in the Eagles half of the 6th and then slammed the door in the 7th to finish off a 6-2 win for FSW.
Shenita Tucker was the lone Buc to finish with more than one hit as she went 2-4 and scored a pair of runs while Poot was 1-4 with the go ahead RBIs in the 5th. Smith went the distance in the circle for FSW, allowing five hits and two runs, both in the 1st inning, while striking out six to improve to 5-0 on the year.
The Bucs left a little less to doubt in their second game of the day against St. Petersburg as after a scoreless 1st inning for both teams, FSW struck for six runs highlighted by a two run double from Charlotte Drijvers and a bases clearing two bagger from Sterre den Duijn to take an early 6-0 lead.
After throwing a no-hitter against the Titans on Tuesday, Bucs starter Belle Sardja kept St. Pete in check once again in the early innings, putting up donuts through the first four frames to keep it a 6-0 game in favor of FSW as the teams went to the 5th.
Sardja worked another 1-2-3 frame in the 5th and the Bucs put the game away in the bottom of the inning as they loaded the bases in front of den Duijn for the second time in the game and she repeated her 2nd inning result with a double to center to score two and end the game in an 8-0 run rule.
The Bucs banged out 10 hits in the win, led by den Duijn who finished a perfect 3-3 with two doubles and five RBIs. Sardja worked her second straight complete game shutout against the Titans, backing up her no-hitter with a one-hitter to improve to 8-2 in the circle this season.
FSW sweeps all three games against the Titans this week, outscoring St. Pete by a combined 25-0 in three run rule wins.
FSW runs their win streak to 12 games with the victories, improving to 35-4 overall and a perfect 10-0 in Suncoast Conference play.
The Bucs will take on the same two teams next week in doubleheaders, first traveling to Winter Haven to play a twinbill against the Eagles Monday at 4 PM before making the trip back to Clearwater to battle the Titans Thursday at 5 PM.