Posted: Mar 16, 2021
FORT MYERS, Fla.- The four time defending Suncoast Conference Champion Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers took the field for the first time in conference play Tuesday night at City of Palms Park in Downtown Fort Myers, dominating the visiting South Florida State Panthers by scores of 6-1 and 14-5 in a doubleheader sweep to improve to 21-3 on the year.
The Bucs got their offense going right off the bat as Rebeca Laudino tripled home Feline Poot just two batters into the FSW half of the first to give the Purple and Aqua a quick 1-0 lead. They added to their lead later in the inning when Shanika Klett drove home Laudino with a groundout to make it 2-0 FSW after one.
Klett drove in her second run of the game in the 3rd with a sacrifice fly to make it 3-0 before Poot and Laudino ripped back to back RBI singles in the 4th to stretch the lead to 6-0.
The Bucs didn't score again, but they didn't need to as Alyssa O'Donnell held the Panthers down in the circle, allowing just one run over the final three innings to close out a 6-1 victory for FSW.
The Bucs outhit the Panthers 8-3 in the contest and played clean on the defensive end while South Florida State made a pair of defensive miscues. The top of the FSW lineup was electric in the win as Poot, Laudino, and Taylor Jensen combined to go 7-10 while Klett drove in a pair in the victory. O'Donnell went the distance in the circle to earn her 10th win of the season, allowing just three hits and one run while striking out seven.
It was the Panthers striking first in game two as a 1st inning home run gave South Florida State a quick 2-0 on FSW.
The lead didn't last long though as Jensen cracked a three run home run for FSW in the bottom of the inning to quickly put the Bucs up 3-2 and two pitches later Klett followed suit with a solo shot of her own to make it 4-2 FSW. A two run double from Natavia Ellis gave the Bucs a 6-2 lead, still with no outs in the inning and later in the inning a Panther error allowed two more runs to score to make it 8-2 FSW. An infield single from Klett brought home the Bucs ninth run of the inning and after an eventful 1st frame it was 9-2 FSW.
The Bucs added to their lead in the 3rd when Poot launched a two run home run into the night to make it 11-2 and two more errors for the Panthers gifted the Bucs two more runs to make it a 13-2 game. A double steal from the speedy combo of Owen Bowers and Natavia Ellis plated the Bucs fifth run of the inning to push the lead to 14-2 after three.
South Florida State made some noise in the 5th, scoring three times, but Alyson Marcum came out of the bullpen to stop the bleeding and finish off a 14-5 run rule win for the Bucs.
Klett was a perfect 3-3 and missed the cycle by just a triple in the win. Jensen was 2-2 with a homer and three RBIs while Poot was 2-3 with a homer and three RBIs of her own out of the leadoff spot. Sarah Clontz pitched three innings, allowing three hits and two runs to improve to 3-0 on the year.
The Bucs improve to 21-3 overall on the season with the sweep while opening Suncoast Conference play at a familiar 2-0. South Florida State drops to 4-15 on the year and 0-2 in league play.
The Bucs are back in action on Thursday on the road in Clearwater when they take on St. Petersburg in an early battle for first place in the conference standings.
