Belle Sardja (Photo by Linwood Ferguson/CaptivePhotons.com)
Posted: Mar 18, 2023
FORT MYERS, Fla.- It was one old Suncoast Conference opponent and one new Southern Conference foe for the #3 Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers Saturday afternoon at Buccaneers Park in Fort Myers, but no matter the opponent, the result was the same as the Bucs shutout both the Hillsborough Hawks and the Eastern Florida State Titans in 8-0 and 5-0 wins to improve to 28-3 on the year.
The Bucs jumped on the board first in game one against Hillsborough, taking advantage of a Hawk error to score the game's first run and later in the inning RBI singles from D'Yani McKinley and Sydney McCray added to the lead to make it 4-0 FSW after two.
Kylee Graham worked through her third straight scoreless inning in the 3rd and Samantha Smith put up a zero with a pair of strikeouts in the 4th to keep the Bucs in front 4-0.
Laura Vigna picked up a two out RBI single to right in the bottom of the 4th to drive home McCray to make it 5-0 FSW after four complete.
The Bucs blew it open in the 5th as McKinley ripped a triple to the wall in right to drive home Sietske Drijvers who doubled to open the frame. McKinley scored on a single up the middle from Maddy Golka to make it 7-0 and McCray put the game in the books with a triple to left to bring her in as FSW took it 8-0 in a five inning run rule over the Hawks.
FSW outhit Hillsborough 10-1 in the win with McCray and McKinley each finishing with two hits and accounting for three runs. Golka was 2-3 with an RBI, two runs scored, and a pair of stolen bases for the Bucs in the victory. Graham was outstanding in the circle, not allowing a hit for her second straight start, going three shutout innings to improve to 8-0 on the year. Smith gave the Hawks fits as well, going two innings and allowing just one hit while striking out three.
In their second game of the day, the Bucs welcomed Eastern Florida State to Buccaneers Park for the two teams' 2023 Southern Conference opener.
FSW starter Belle Sardja was locked in early, retiring the first six hitters she faced before working herself out of a jam in the 3rd to keep the Titans off the board and the game scoreless through 2 1/2.
The Bucs cracked the scoreboard for the first time in the 3rd as Caroline Figueroa hit a fly ball deep enough to score Golka from third for a sacrifice fly to give FSW a 1-0 lead.
Sardja continued her domination through the middle innings, retiring all nine hitters she faced in the 4th, 5th, and 6th frames to keep the Bucs in front 1-0.
The FSW half of the 6th was an interesting one. It began with a bunt single from Vigna to get things going and after a sac bunt moved her up 60 feet, she scored on an RBI single from Shenita Tucker to make it 2-0. Another bunt single followed by a Titan throwing error allowed Tucker to score and the Bucs continued to use small ball with a safety squeeze to score their third run of the inning to make it 4-0. They weren't done yet as back to back hit batters loaded the bases with one out and a third straight bean ball made it 5-0. All in all, FSW plated four runs in the inning with the ball getting past the pitcher's circle just one time in the frame.
The cushion was more than enough for Sardja who worked a 1-2-3 top of the 7th with some defensive help from Vigna in right to finish off the 5-0 shutout win for the Bucs.
Platt and Tucker both went a perfect 3-3 with an RBI in the win while combining for three stolen bases. Sardja went the distance in the circle, improving to 11-1 on the year while spinning two hit shutout with five strikeouts.
FSW has now won 18 straight games to move to 29-3 on the year while winning their Southern Conference opener to start 1-0.
The Bucs are back in action on Wednesday at home in Fort Myers when they host Miami Dade in a Southern Conference doubleheader beginning at 2 PM.