January 26, 2025
Bucs Blast Way to Opening Day Sweep
The #7 Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers couldn't have scripted their Opening Day much better on Sunday as the Bucs outscored their three opponents by a combined score of 34-6 while run ruling Tallahassee State, #5 Walters State, and Rend Lake in dominating fashion to begin their 2025 campaign a perfect 3-0.
MADEIRA BEACH, Fla.- The #7 Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers couldn't have scripted their Opening Day much better on Sunday as the Bucs outscored their three opponents by a combined score of 34-6 while run ruling Tallahassee State, #5 Walters State, and Rend Lake in dominating fashion to begin their 2025 campaign a perfect 3-0.
The Bucs began a busy day in an inter-region matchup with Tallahassee State.
It didn't take FSW long to get things going as Virginia Mambelli ripped a one out RBI double in the bottom of the 1st to get the Bucs on the board and give FSW fans a preview of what was to come for the day.
Megan Veilleux began her FSW career with a double to the wall in left to leadoff the 2nd and she came around to score on a two out RBI single from Noalani Livingstone to double the Bucs lead to 2-0.
The Bucs kept the pressure on the Eagles in the 3rd as Skylar Brennan lifted off on a solo shot to center for the Bucs first home run of the year to make it 3-0 and four batters later Veilleux followed suit with a three run bomb of her own to double the lead to 6-0 at the end of three.
Tallahassee fought back in the 4th as they took advantage of a leadoff walk and a one out FSW error to set the table before cashing in three runs to cut the Bucs lead in half to 6-3.
FSW got two of the runs back right away in the bottom of the inning as Emily Allegood drove home a run with a sacrifice fly and Nicole Edmiaston drove home another with a two out RBI double to push the lead back to five at 8-3.
The only scoreless frame of the game came in the 5th and Leah Meyer blanked the Eagles again in the top of the 6th to keep FSW comfortably in front 8-3.
The Bucs finished things off in the bottom of the 6th as a pair of walks set the table and Veilleux put a bow on her memorable debut with her second three run home run of the game to right to make it 11-3 FSW and kick in the run rule.
Veilleux was the story for the Bucs, going 3-4 with a double, two home runs, and six RBIs in her collegiate debut to lead a 14 hit attack for FSW. Livingstone went 3-4 with an RBI and a run scored atop the Buccaneers lineup while Brennan, Mambelli, and Edmiaston all had two hits and an RBI in their first games of their sophomore campaigns.
Meyer earned the win in the circle for FSW, going the distance and allowing just three hits and one earned run while striking out six to move to 1-0 on the year.
The competition ramped up for the Bucs in their second game of the day as they squared off with #5 Walters State in a big early season Top 10 matchup.
Zoe Yzaguirre took the ball in the circle for FSW in her collegiate debut and promptly struck out the side in the top of the 1st for the Bucs.
Livingstone wasted little time in giving the Bucs the lead, hitting the first pitch she saw in the bottom half of the inning deep and out to center to put FSW in front 1-0. Three batters later Mambelli ripped a triple down the line, bringing home two more to make it 3-0 and later in the inning Veilleux drove in her seventh run of the day to put FSW on top 4-0 at the end of one.
It was more of the same for the Bucs in the 2nd as Brennan, Mambelli, and Edmiaston drove home runs in consecutive at bats to balloon the lead to 7-0 after two.
A pair of one out walks got the Bucs in trouble in the 3rd and back to back Senator singles brought the runs home to cut the Bucs lead to 7-2.
Walters got a solo home run in the 4th to make it a 7-3 game, but Allegood quickly answered with a solo shot of her own to lead off the FSW half of the inning to push the lead back to five at 8-3.
It remained an 8-3 game to the bottom of the 6th when Allegood led off with another extra base hit, this time a double and scored right away as Brennan singled up the middle to make it a 9-3 contest. Three pitches later Mambelli ended the game with a two run homer to dead center to kick in the run rule with FSW taking it 11-3.
The middle of the Bucs lineup was electric in the win as Allegood was a perfect 4-4 with a homer and four runs scored, Brennan was 4-4 and accounted for five runs with three scored and two driven in, and Mambelli was 2-4 with a homer and five RBIs. Yzaguirre threw a complete game in her first appearance as a Buc, yielding four hits and three runs while striking out eight to pick up her first collegiate win.
For the third straight game, the Bucs took a 1st inning lead in their final game of the day against Rend Lake as Brennan doubled with two outs and scored on a Warrior error to give FSW a quick 1-0 lead.
Livingstone continued to give opposing pitchers nightmares with a two run single through the hole on the right side to bump the Bucs lead to 3-0 in the 2nd and FSW starter McKenzie Bailey-McDowell struck out a pair in a 1-2-3 top of the 3rd to keep it that way for the Buccaneers.
Brianice Silguero picked up her first hit as a Buc with a two run single through the left side to make it 5-0 in the 3rd and FSW wasn't done yet as they piled on five more in the frame to blow it open to a 10-0 game at the end of three.
Giorgiana Woods came in out of the FSW bullpen and worked out of a jam in the 4th with a pair of big strikeouts to keep the shutout intact.
FSW added two more insurance runs in the 4th on a ground out from Brooklyn Scott and a two out RBI double from Makayla Jakubuwski to make it 12-0 and that is how it would end after five as Woods closed out the shutout and kicked in the run rule with the Bucs finishing off the Sunday sweep with a 12-0 win.
The Bucs outhit the Warriors 15-1 in the game. Bailey-McDowell led FSW both at the plate and in the circle, going 2-2 with three runs scored with the bat and throwing three no-hit innings to earn her first collegiate win in the circle. Livingstone finished 2-3 with three RBIs at the top of the FSW order while Brennan continued her big opening weekend with a 2-3 two RBI effort and Edmiaston and Fauth Wharton both finished with multiple hits as well.
The numbers were eye popping for the Bucs in the wins as they outscored their opponents 34-6 and hit .550 as a team while holding opposing hitters to a .131 batting average in the circle.
The Bucs start 3-0 and will take the field again on Friday on the road in New Port Richey when they take on Pasco-Hernando in a doubleheader beginning at 2 PM.