May 24, 2022
Bucs Blast Way to 50th Win to Open National Tournament
The top seeded Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers dominated from wire to wire Tuesday in the opening game of the 2022 NJCAA National Tournament, getting a two run home run from Feline Poot in the 1st inning to take an early lead and a solo shot from the slugger in the 6th to finish it off with six shutout innings from Baylee Haggard between the blasts to come away with an 8-0 run rule win over Georgia Military to begin defense of their 2021 National Championship.
YUMA, AZ.- The top seeded Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers dominated from wire to wire Tuesday in the opening game of the 2022 NJCAA National Tournament, getting a two run home run from Feline Poot in the 1st inning to take an early lead and a solo shot from the slugger in the 6th to finish it off with six shutout innings from Baylee Haggard between the blasts to come away with an 8-0 run rule win over Georgia Military to begin defense of their 2021 National Championship.
The Bucs flashed some leather in the top half of the 1st inning to get the ballgame going as Sterre den Duijn snagged a line drive and turned it into a double play to give FSW a chance to strike first.
They did just that in the bottom half of the inning as Laura Vigna was hit by a pitch to leadoff the Bucs 1st and two batters later Feline Poot won a nine pitch at bat with a bomb to left to give FSW an early 2-0 lead.
FSW starter Baylee Haggard worked around a leadoff single in the 2nd with three strikeouts and got two more in the 3rd to keep it a 2-0 game in favor of the Bucs.
FSW added to their lead in the bottom of the 3rd as Shenita Tucker singled through the left side with one out, stole her 58th base of the season and scored on a Bulldog error to make it 3-0. Later in the frame McKenzie Wittenberg blooped a single into right to plate another FSW run to cushion the lead to 4-0 at the end of three.
The Bucs turned their second double play of the game in the top of the 4th to keep their four run advantage and in the bottom half of the frame Tucker's big day continued with another single to left, this one driving a run home to make it 5-0 FSW.
Haggard worked a quick 1-2-3 top of the 5th and the Bucs also went down in order in the bottom of the inning to keep it a 5-0 game in favor of the Bucs as the teams headed to the 6th.
Another excellent defensive play by FSW, this time a perfect relay from Tucker to Carys Platt, onto den Duijn at third to nabbed a runner to end the inning in the top of the 6th as the Bucs remained in control 5-0.
The Bucs put the game away in the 6th as Vigna doubled with one out to put runners on second and third before a line drive from Tucker to center brought a run home to up the lead to 6-0. A wild pitch scored Vigna from third to make it 7-0 and on a 1-0 pitch with two outs, Poot unloaded on her second home run of the day deep and out to left to put it in the books in an 8-0 run rule for FSW.
FSW outhit Georgia Military 8-5 in the win and sparkled on defense while the Bulldogs made a pair of errors. Poot was the offensive star, going 2-4 with a pair of home runs and three RBIs while Tucker finished 2-3 with a pair of RBIs and Vigna was 2-3 with two runs scored. Haggard was excellent in the circle for the Bucs, shutting out the Bulldogs while scattering five hits and striking out five to improve to 25-2 on the year.
The win is the 50th of the season for FSW who improves to 50-5, marking the fifth time in six full seasons that the Bucs have reached the 50 win mark. Ironically, the only time FSW has not won 50 games was 2021 when they won the NJCAA National Championship.
The Bucs move onto the winner's bracket second round where they will square off with #10 Chattanooga State at 5 PM (EDT) Wednesday with a trip to the quarterfinals on the line.
