Feline Poot (Photo by Roy Allen)
Posted: May 25, 2021
YUMA, Az.- The #3 Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers put on an offensive clinic Tuesday afternoon in the first round of the NJCAA National Tournament as they took on the Central Alabama Trojans, exploding for 13 runs on 14 hits in route to a 13-3 run rule victory to move onto the winner's bracket quarterfinals on Wednesday.
Things got off to a somewhat inauspicious start for the Bucs as they committed a pair of 1st inning runs to allow the 14th seeded Trojans to score a pair of runs to take an early 2-0 lead.
The Bucs answered right back in the bottom of the 1st, picking up five straight two out hits to erase the Trojans lead and take a 4-2 lead of their own. Shanika Klett got things going with a double to the gap to plate a pair and Owen Bowers singled up the middle to score her to quickly make it 3-2 Bucs. After two more singles loaded the bases, Sterre den Duijn walked with the bases loaded to force home another run to push the lead to two at 4-2 at the end of an action filled 1st inning of play.
FSW was right back at it in the 2nd as Klett drove home two more with a single up the middle to make it 6-2 and later in the inning Feline Poot drilled a ground rule double to left center to score two more to extend the lead to 8-2. The Bucs added another run on a Trojan error to take a commanding 9-2 lead after two innings of action.
Bucs starter Alyssa O'Donnell put up her second straight zero in the top of the 3rd and the FSW offense was right back at it in the bottom of the frame. Another Central error allowed the Bucs 10th run of the game to score and that brought Klett back up for another RBI situation and she wasted no time in cashing them in, ripping a double down the line to score a pair and blow the game open to 12-2. Bowers drove Klett in with a sacrifice fly to right later in the inning to make it 13-2 Bucs after three.
Central Alabama got a run in the 4th, but nothing more as Sarah Clontz came in to close out the Trojans in the 5th to secure a 13-3 run rule win for the Bucs in five.
The Bucs outhit the Trojans 14-5 in the win, led by Klett who was a perfect 3-3 with a pair of doubles and a career high six RBIs. Poot finished 2-3 with two RBIs and Bowers was 1-1 with two runs driven home while Janessa Plummer, Lindsey Corbin, and Natavia Ellis were each 2-2 for FSW in the victory. O'Donnell worked three innings to earn the win in the circle for the Bucs, improving to 21-1 on the year. She allowed three hits and two unearned runs and struck out three.
The Bucs improve to 45-4 on the year with the win while Central Alabama falls to 43-14.
FSW advances to the winner's bracket quarterfinal Wednesday where they will take on #6 Seminole State at 4 PM (MST). Central Alabama will face their first elimination game Wednesday when they square off against Odessa at noon.
