March 3, 2023
Bucs Dominate Day One at NFCA Leadoff Classic
The #3 Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers won three games in three different ways Friday in the NFCA Leadoff Classic in Columbus, Georgia. The Bucs opened play with an 11-3 run rule win over Illinois Central before turning around and squeaking out a 5-4 win over DII #8 Jones in the back end of a split doubleheader. Later on Friday night they faced their stiffest test of the day against #12 San Jacinto and passed with flying colors as Belle Sardja fired a three hit shutout as the Bucs took down the Ravens 2-0 to wrap up a perfect 3-0 day in the Peach State.
COLUMBUS, Ga.- The #3 Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers won three games in three different ways Friday in the NFCA Leadoff Classic in Columbus, Georgia. The Bucs opened play with an 11-3 run rule win over Illinois Central before turning around and squeaking out a 5-4 win over DII #8 Jones in the back end of a split doubleheader. Later on Friday night they faced their stiffest test of the day against #12 San Jacinto and passed with flying colors as Belle Sardja fired a three hit shutout as the Bucs took down the Ravens 2-0 to wrap up a perfect 3-0 day in the Peach State.
There were fireworks right off the bat in the Bucs first game of a busy day as Illinois Central led 2-0 just two batters into the game after a leadoff walk and a two run home run while FSW answered right away in the bottom of the inning as Carys Platt drove home a run with a bunt single and Caroline Figueroa brought her in with a one out double to level the score at 2-2.
The Bucs took their first lead of the game in the 2nd as Sydney McCray found a hole in center for a two out, two run single to put FSW in front 4-2.
After the Cougars got a solo home run in the 3rd, the Bucs were back on the attack in the 4th as Shenita Tucker drove home a run with a sacrifice fly to make it 5-3 before Platt legged out another RBI bunt single and Jaden Goodwin was hit with the bases loaded to push the FSW lead to 7-3.
It remained a 7-3 game to the 6th when a pair of walks to start the FSW half of the frame got the Bucs going and a two run single from Goodwin made it a 9-3 game. After a pair of walks and a hit batter to force home a run, Gabby Martin came up and smacked one the other way for an RBI single to kick in the run rule with the Bucs winning it 11-3.
The Bucs outhit the Cougars 12-4 in the win and played clean defensively while Illinois Central committed a pair of errors. McCray led the offense with a perfect 3-3 contest, driving in and scoring a pair of runs. Platt was 2-3 in her debut in the three hole, also scoring and knocking in two runs. Samantha Smith earns the win in the circle, going four innings and allowing just two hits to improve to 2-0 on the year before giving the ball to Kylee Graham who closed things out with two scoreless frames.
In their second game of the day, the Bucs squared off with DII #8 Jones from Mississippi.
The Bobcats were the first to strike as they got a leadoff home run in the 2nd and two more runs later in the inning to take an early 3-0 lead on the Bucs.
FSW got back in it in the 3rd as Feline Poot singled to start the inning and came around to score later on on a wild pitch before Platt lifted a sac fly to center to bring home Shenita Tucker to make it 3-2. One batter later Figueroa slashed one the other way, drawing the Bucs even at 3 at the end of three.
Lea Chevrier gave the Bucs a big zero in the circle in the top of the 4th and her offense rewarded her in the bottom half as D'Yani McKinley singled through the right side with one out before Poot crushed a two run shot to center to put FSW in front 5-3.
Jones threatened in both the 5th and 6th, putting two runners on in each frame, but the Chevrier battled out of the jam in the 5th and reliever Kylee Graham one inning later to keep the Bucs in front 5-3.
The Bucs couldn't get any insurance in the 6th and it looked like it was going to come back to bite them in the 7th as Jones loaded the bases with one out but Graham came up big, allowing just one unearned run before picking up a huge strikeout to escape the fire as the Bucs held on to win 5-4 while leaving the Bobcats tying run just 60 feet away.
McCray had her second straight three hit game for the Bucs, going 3-4 with a run scored while Poot was a perfect 2-2 with two RBIs and two runs scored at the bottom of the lineup. Chevrier battled through five innings to earn the win and improve to 3-2 on the year while Graham picked up her first save of the season with two innings to close things out.
The Bucs third and final game of the day came against a team they have seen the past couple of years at the NJCAA National Tournament, 12th ranked San Jacinto.
It was an old fashioned pitcher's duel early on between the Bucs' Belle Sardja and San Jac's Christin Haygood. Sardja retired the first 12 she faced while Haygood allowed just one hit through three innings as the game flew scoreless to the 4th.
The Bucs broke through in the 4th as Platt laid down a bunt single to start the frame and moved up 60 feet on a sac bunt from Figueroa. What looked like an RBI single for Goodwin turned into an RBI groundout as she was injured on her swing and while Platt motored around from second to score the game's first run, Goodwin was easily put out at first as the Bucs took a 1-0 lead.
Sardja's perfect game bid was lost on a walk to start to the 5th, but the Bucs defense picked her up with a double play and after a strikeout, she had faced the minimum through five with the Bucs still up 1-0.
FSW added to their lead in the 6th as McCray was doinked with a pitch for the second time in the game and moved to second on a passed ball before coming around to score on a single to right from Platt to make it 2-0 Bucs at the end of six.
San Jac tried to make some noise in the 7th as they put their leadoff runner on on a four pitch walk, but another double play for the Bucs erased the baserunner and Sardja struck out her sixth hitter of the game to close it out and preserve her shutout as the Bucs took it 2-0 over the Ravens.
The game featured just seven hits, four for FSW and three for San Jac. Platt had her fifth multi-hit game in six outings with a 2-3 effort, scoring one of the Bucs runs and driving in the other in the win. Sardja was spectacular in the circle, going the distance and allowing just three hits, all singles, while striking out six in her sixth career shutout.
The Bucs move to 15-3 on the year with the three victories and now have four wins on the year over Top 20 ranked opponents.
FSW continues a busy weekend on Saturday in Columbus as they take on DII #19 Lansing at 10 AM local time before battling Wabash Valley to close out play at the tournament.