OCALA, Fla.- The NJCAA Softball doubleheader of the year took place Friday in Ocala as the #2 Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers hit the road to take on the #1 Central Florida Patriots in non-conference action. The Bucs jumped out to an early 4-0 lead in game one before watching the Patriots score eight unanswered for an 8-4 victory. Game two was a different story as FSW again got out to an early advantage, but this time didn't let up, hammering Central 11-0 in a five inning run rule to split the doubleheader. 

 

The Bucs couldn't have asked for much of a better start in game one as they jumped out to a 4-0 lead when Taylor Jensen singled, Chelsea Brown lifted a sacrifice fly to right, and Patriot error allowed two more runs to score to give FSW a four run advantage before Central Florida even got a chance to hit. 

 

The Patriots came back to even things up in the 2nd with a solo home run and a pair of one out singles to tie the score at 4-4.  

 

Central Florida loaded the bases without the benefit of a hit in the 3rd and pushed a run across with an RBI single to take their first lead of the game at 5-4.  

 

The Patriots continued to add on in the 4th, getting a leadoff double and a two out single to stretch their lead to 6-4.  

 

The Bucs bats remained cold in their half of the 5th and the Patriots took advantage by scoring two more in the bottom of the frame to extend their lead to 8-4.  

 

FSW had one last chance to get back into the game in the 6th as they put two on and brought the tying run to the on deck circle, but a strikeout ended the inning and they never threatened again as Central Florida closed things out in the 7th to win game one 8-4.  

 

The Bucs finished with just four hits in the game, all coming from the first three hitters in their order.  Rebeca Laudino was the lone Buc to record a multiple hit game, going 2-4 with a run scored in the loss.  Emily Perrin was collared with the loss, lasting just 2 1/3 innings while allowing four hits and four earned runs to fall to 6-2 on the year.  

 

 

For the second straight game, the Bucs took an early lead in game two, using a Central Florida error to tally a run in the top of the 1st to take a quick 1-0 advantage.  

 

The Bucs added to their lead in the 2nd as another Patriot error led to an FSW run before a successful double steal netted the Bucs their second run of the frame to take a 3-0 lead.  

 

Central Florida threatened in the bottom of the 2nd, but Alyssa O'Donnell shut down the Patriot rally with a big strikeout to keep it a 3-0 game.  

 

It remained a 3-0 game into the 4th when Jensen came through with a big two out single up the middle to drive home two to cushion the Bucs lead to 5-0.  

 

O'Donnell worked a quick 1-2-3 bottom of the 4th for the Bucs and it was back to work for the FSW offense in the 5th. 

 

With two outs in the inning, Brown was called upon to pinch hit and lined a single to center to plate two to make it 7-0. The Bucs weren't done there.  Feline Poot doubled to drive home the Bucs third run of the inning and she scored on an RBI single from Laudino to make it 9-0.  Two pitches later Jensen lifted off on her second home run of the season to blow the game open to 11-0 in favor of the Purple and Aqua.  

 

Central Florida put two on in the 5th, but O'Donnell kept her shutout intact and wrapped things up for the Bucs in the circle, finishing off an 11-0 run rule victory in five for FSW. 

 

The Bucs banged out 14 hits in the win including five different players notching multi-hit games.  Jensen was 2-4 with a homer and four RBIs while Laudino, Owen Bowers, and Sterre Den Duijn each went 2-3 with a pair of runs scored.  The offense overshadowed a stellar performance on the rubber from O'Donnell who threw a complete game shutout against the Nation's top ranked team, allowing just four hits while striking out three to improve to 7-0 on the year. 

 

 

The split takes FSW to 14-2 overall while Central Florida moves to 16-3.  

 

The Bucs are back in action on Saturday when they travel to Melbourne to take on Eastern Florida in a doubleheader beginning at 1 PM.