February 1, 2024
Bucs Chop Banyans to Size in Home Openers
You couldn't find a matchup that had much more of a contrast in programs as was found at Buccaneers Park in Fort Myers on Thursday as the three time defending NJCAA National Champion Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers squared off against the New College of Florida Mighty Banyans who were playing their first two games in program history. Unfortunately for the Banyans, the experience of the Bucs was just too much as FSW put together a pair of 8-0 run rules while the Bucs pitching staff allowed just three hits on the afternoon.
FORT MYERS, Fla.- You couldn't find a matchup that had much more of a contrast in programs as was found at Buccaneers Park in Fort Myers on Thursday as the three time defending NJCAA National Champion Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers squared off against the New College of Florida Mighty Banyans who were playing their first two games in program history. Unfortunately for the Banyans, the experience of the Bucs was just too much as FSW put together a pair of 8-0 run rules while the Bucs pitching staff allowed just three hits on the afternoon.
The Bucs got off to a quick start literally and figuratively as their two speedsters at the top of the order, Sydney McCray and D'Yani McKinley both walked and created havoc on the basepaths, as McCray swiped a pair of bags and scored on a throwing error while McKinley followed her around the pillows and scored on a groundout to the pitcher to give FSW a 2-0 lead without a hit in the 1st.
The Bucs added to their lead in the 2nd as Maddy Golka lined a single up the middle and Kmari Williams drilled one off the wall in right center and motored around the bases for a stand up inside the park home run to double the Bucs lead to 4-0. McCray was back at it for the second straight inning after that as she legged out an infield single, stole second, and scored on a bullet up the middle from McKinley to make it 5-0 FSW.
New College looked like they had something going in the 3rd as they put two on with nobody out, but a line drive to first base turned into a triple play, ending the rally in the blink of an eye and keeping the Bucs on top 5-0.
The Bucs scored for the third straight inning in the 3rd as Golka kept the inning going with a two out double and Williams walked before a successful double steal and a throwing error allowed Golka to score to make it 6-0 FSW.
Esmee Ames took over in the circle for the Bucs in the 4th and worked a quick 1-2-3 frame with a pair of strikeouts before punching out the side again in the 5th to keep it a 6-0 game.
In the bottom of the 5th Mia Terito picked up an RBI single in her first at bat as a Buc to make it 7-0 and Virginia Mambelli kicked in the run rule with an RBI groundout to end it as FSW took it 8-0 in five.
Leah Myer threw three shutout innings to earn her first win as a Buc before Ames came in to close out the Banyans with five strikeouts in two perfect frames.
The Bucs offense finished with eight hits with Golka and McKinley both recording two hit games and Williams reaching twice including her inside the park home run in the 1st.
After two quick outs to start the FSW half of the 1st in game two, the Bucs strung together a two out rally with three straight singles before a Banyan error allowed the games first run to score. The Bucs made the error hurt as two pitches later Mambelli split the gap in left center to clear the bases with a three run double to quickly blow the lead open to 4-0 after one.
Bucs starter Lea Chevrier cut through the NCF lineup in the 2nd and 3rd like a knife through hot butter to keep FSW in front 4-0 and the Bucs added to their lead in the bottom of the 3rd as they took advantage of another Banyan error to plate two and make it a 6-0 game.
The Bucs flashed some more leather to get out of a jam in the 5th as they worked a 2-3-5 double play to keep the Banyans off the board and they finished the game off in the bottom half of the frame as Mambelli continued her big day with another RBI and WIlliams lined an RBI single up the middle to end it as FSW took game two the same way they did in game one in modified walk off fashion, 8-0 in five.
Emily Allegood did it all for the Bucs in the game two win, going a perfect 3-3 with two runs scored at the plate while throwing a pair of one hit innings in the circle to close things out. Sietske Drijvers was 2-2 with two runs scored while Mambelli was 1-3 with five RBIs. Chevrier was the winning pitcher for the Bucs, going three perfect innings, striking out a pair to improve to 2-0 on the year.
The Bucs move to 4-0 on the year with the victories while New College of Florida gets off to a rough 0-2 start to their program history.
FSW will be back in action next weekend when they head to the Visit Dothan Invitational in Alabama where they take on a quartet of teams from the Heart of Dixie Friday and Saturday.
