CLEARWATER, FLA.- The 3rd ranked Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers showed exactly why they are one of the odds on favorites to be playing on the final day of the 2019 season as they outscored their first three opponents of the season 32-5 on opening day to begin the year 3-0 for the second time in the past three seasons.
In their opener, the Bucs took on an overmatched squad from Puerto Rico that had no idea what was about to hit them as soon as the first pitch was thrown. FSW bombarded Puerto Rico with 11 runs in the bottom half of the first inning, getting an RBI double from Madison Johnson and a grand slam off the bat of Owen Bowers to highlight and nine hit frame in which they sent 17 to the plate to take an 11-0 lead after one.
The Bucs added to their lead in the third with three more, Pallas Potter getting the big hit this time with an RBI double to make it 14-0.
FSW added three more in the fourth to go on to win 17-1 in a five inning run rule.
The Bucs hammered out 17 hits, led by four from Potter and two each from Johnson, Paris Woods, and Rebeca Laudino. Eleven different Bucs recorded hits in the win while 10 different FSW hitters had RBI's. Ali Yawn earned the win in the circle, going the distance while allowing just three hits and striking out five for her first win of the year.
The Bucs again came out strong in their second game of the day as they took on Florida State College at Jacksonville. The first two hitters reached in the top half of the first for FSW and Shanika Klett cleared the bases with a three run home run to put the Bucs on top early 3-0.
It remained a 3-0 game to the fourth when FSCJ broke through, getting a two out RBI single to cut the Bucs lead to 3-1.
Laudino set the table for the Bucs in the top of the fifth as she singled before stealing second and third and then scoring on a sacrifice fly off the bat of pinch hitter Elsie Rivera to push the FSW lead back to three at 4-1.
A solo home run for the Blue Wave in the sixth would get them back to within two, but Sarah Lawton came in from the FSW bullpen for the seventh and slammed the door to give the Bucs a 4-2 win to move to 2-0 on the day.
The teams finished with just five hits per side, the Bucs getting the big blow from Klett as the difference maker. Klett, who also added a hit later in the game combined with Laudino for four of the five FSW hits and three of the four runs scored. Haley Ellefson earned her first win of the year with six solid innings of work, allowing five hits and two runs while striking out five. Lawton earned her first save of the year with a 1-2-3 seventh.
#3 FSW/FSC-JACKSONVILLE BOX SCORE
In their final game of opening day, the Bucs squared off against the Saints of Santa Fe. For the first time all day, FSW found themselves in a hole in the first as they failed to score and the Saints used a two out single to score a run and take a 1-0 lead.
The Bucs played from behind into the third when a two out Santa Fe error gave them some life, and they took advantage. Klett continued her big day with a two run single and Natavia Ellis, Woods, and Rivera cracked consecutive run scoring hits to put FSW in front 5-1.
Santa Fe scored an unearned run in the bottom of the fourth to cut the FSW lead to 5-2 and that's where things stood into the sixth inning of action.
The Bucs added back onto their lead in the sixth as Kayla Domon ripped a two run double to left to make it 7-2 and Klett singled to score her later in the inning to make it an 8-2 game. FSW leaned on some more two out magic with an RBI single from Woods to cap off a four run inning and give the Bucs a 9-2 cushion.
FSW put the game away in the top of the seventh as Johnson doubled home two to make it 11-2 and another run scored on a Santa Fe error to push the lead to 12-2 which is where it finished as the Bucs wrapped up a perfect 3-0 opening day with the 10 run win over the Saints.
The Bucs put together 14 hits in the contest led by three hits from Woods and two each from Klett and Ellis. The middle of the FSW order was deadly for the Saints as Domon, Johnson, and Klett combined for seven RBI's in the Buc win. Preseason All-American Kelsi Collins earned her first win of the season, cruising through five innings, allowing just three hits and one earned run while whiffing 10. Lawton finished her second game of the day with two scoreless frames striking out three.
The 3-0 Bucs will take the field again on Saturday in Clearwater where they will take on Tallahassee at 11 AM followed by the marquee matchup of the weekend when they battle #12 Seminole State at 3:20 PM.