April 7, 2023
Bucs Take a Pair of Wild Ones to Run Winning Streak to 30
The #1 Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers stretched their winning streak to 30 games Friday afternoon in Bradenton with wins over Eastern Florida and State College of Florida, but it didn't come without a little bit of drama as in their opening game of the day, Eastern Florida stormed back late in the game to nearly erase a 10-2 FSW lead while in their second game, it took a five run 7th from the Bucs to come from behind to defeat the Manatees 8-4.
BRADENTON, Fla.- The #1 Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers stretched their winning streak to 30 games Friday afternoon in Bradenton with wins over Eastern Florida and State College of Florida, but it didn't come without a little bit of drama as in their opening game of the day, Eastern Florida stormed back late in the game to nearly erase a 10-2 FSW lead while in their second game, it took a five run 7th from the Bucs to come from behind to defeat the Manatees 8-4.
The Bucs first game of the day was a Southern Conference contest against the Eastern Florida State Titans.
FSW got the scoring started in the 2nd as Sietske Drijvers lifted a sacrifice fly to left to bring home Laura Vigna from third to put the Bucs up 1-0.
The Bucs blew the game open in the 4th as Drijvers knocked in two more with a bases loaded single and Shenita Tucker brought a run home on a sac fly to make it 4-0. FSW wasn't done yet though as Carys Platt kept the merry go round going with an RBI single through the right side and with two outs in the inning Feline Poot homered for the fourth straight game, a two run shot to make it 7-0 Buccaneers after 3 1/2.
Back to back hits for the Titans to start the bottom of the 4th netted them a run and with two outs in the frame a single back up the middle scored another to make it 7-2 after an action filled 4th.
The Bucs struck right back as Caroline Figueroa doubled to start a three run inning for FSW as Drijvers continued her big day with a two run single and Platt notched the Bucs third sac fly of the game later in the inning to make it 10-2.
With two on and two out in the 5th, the Bucs were one strike away from finishing off the game in a run rule when Eastern Florida cracked a three run home run to get right back into the game at 10-5. They weren't done yet though as three straight singles brought home two more runs to all of a sudden get the Titans back to within three at 10-7.
There was more traffic on the bases for the Titans in the 6th as they put the tying run on base as they loaded the bases with two outs, but Belle Sardja picked up a huge strikeout to end the threat and keep the Bucs in front 10-7.
The Bucs added an insurance run in the 7th when Tucker used her blazing speed to steal second and then home later in the inning as she caught the Titans sleeping to stretch the FSW lead to 11-7.
Sardja did the rest with a scoreless bottom of the 7th for the Bucs as FSW finished off an 11-7 win to remain unbeaten in Southern Conference play.
The Bucs banged out 13 hits in the win with the bottom of the lineup doing the majority of the damage. Figueroa was 3-4 while Maddy Golka was a perfect 3-3, and Drijvers finished 2-3 with a career best five RBIs. Sardja earned the win to move to 17-1 on the year and if statistical rules would allow it, saved her own win as well, coming back in out of the bullpen to finish off 6 1/3 innings, allowing just two runs while striking out six.
FSW was first on the board again in their second game of the night as they took on former Suncoast Conference rival State College of Florida. Tucker chopped a single to begin the game and stole second before coming around to score on an RBI fielder's choice from Sydney McCray to put FSW in front 1-0.
A squeeze play for the Manatees in the bottom of the 1st was well executed and turned into a run to quickly tie the game back up at 1.
FSW went back in front in the 3rd when Poot remained red hot with an RBI double to left to bring home McCray to make it a 2-1 game.
SCF loaded the bases with nobody out in the bottom of the 3rd but Kylee Graham came to the rescue out of the FSW bullpen, picking up a pair of big strikeouts and then a ground ball to end the threat and keep the Bucs in front 2-1.
Graham struck out the side in the 4th but FSW couldn't add to their lead in the 5th as it remained a 2-1 game at the end of 4 1/2.
The Manatees took advantage of an FSW error in the bottom of the 5th to spur a three run frame, erasing the one run Buccaneer lead and taking a 4-2 lead of their own.
The Bucs strung together a two out rally in the 6th and Golka paid it off with an RBI single to get FSW back to within one at 4-3.
With their backs to the wall and a 30 game win streak on the line, the Bucs offense came to life in the 7th as Poot ripped a two run double to left to put FSW back ahead 5-4 and a two run inside the park home run later in the inning from D'Yani McKinley padded the lead to 8-4.
The Bucs bullpen locked down the win in the bottom of the inning as Samantha Smith started the frame and picked up a strikeout before giving the ball to Lea Chevrier who got the final two outs to finish off an 8-4 win for the Buccaneers.
It was a different part of the Bucs order getting the job done in this one as Platt, McCray, and Poot each finished with two hits a piece with Poot's two being doubles while she drove in three. Smith earned her seventh win of the season in the circle, going 1 1/3 shutout innings while allowing just one hit while Chevrier needed just four pitches to earn her third save of the season.
FSW has now won 30 games in a row to improve to 41-3 overall on the year while upping their Southern Conference record to 9-0 with their win over Eastern in their opener Friday.
Next up for the Bucs is a trip to Miami on Wednesday to take on Miami Dade in doubleheader action beginning at 2 PM.