COLUMBUS, GA.- The #1 Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers finished off a perfect 6-0 weekend with a championship at the NFCA Leadoff Classic on Sunday, hammering DII #2 LSU-Eunice 14-4 in a five inning run rule to improve to 31-0 on the year.
The Bucs left little question early on who was going to win this one as they scored five in the top half of the first, getting RBI singles from Paris Woods and Pallas Potter, and a two run bomb from Haley Ellefson to jump on top 5-0 before the Bengals had a chance to hit.
FSW added another in the second as Owen Bowers lifted a sacrifice fly to left field to make it a 6-0 game.
The Bucs blew things wide open in the fourth with another five run inning, getting an RBI single from Kayla Domon, an RBI double from Woods, and another big blow from Ellefson, this time a two run double to give FSW an 11-0 cushion.
Eunice got a run back in the fourth, but FSW answered with three more of their own in the top of the fifth as Domon, Woods, and Ellefson were again in on the action with RBI knocks to push the lead to 14-1.
The Bengals finally got something going in the bottom of the fifth, clearing the bases with a two out double to make it 14-4, but it wasn't enough to keep the game going as the Bucs got a strikeout to end things, kicking in the run rule in a 14-4 FSW win to give the Bucs the championship.
FSW slugged out 16 hits in the win, led by Ellefson who missed the cycle by just a triple, while driving in five. Rebeca Laudino set the table at the top of the order, going a perfect 3 for 3 and scoring each time she reached base. Woods and Domon combined for four hits, four runs, and five RBI's in the middle of the order. Kelsi Collins earned the win in the circle, improving to 14-0 on the year, eating up 3 2/3 innings, allowing two hits and one run while striking out six.
The win pushes the Bucs to a perfect 31-0 on the year while LSU-Eunice falls to 23-5.
The Bucs now turn their attention to Suncoast Conference play, looking for their fourth straight league title. FSW will open the conference season on Tuesday at home at City of Palms Park when they host St. Petersburg in a 5 PM doubleheader.