Posted: Mar 18, 2021
CLEARWATER, Fla.- The #3 Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers flexed their muscles Thursday in Clearwater, scoring 20 runs in eight innings of action to defeat St. Petersburg 11-3 in game one of their doubleheader and take a 9-0 lead in game two before it was suspended due to lightning in the 2nd inning.
St. Petersburg got on the board first in game one of the doubleheader, taking advantage of an FSW defensive miscue to score two runs and take an early 2-0 lead.
The Bucs bats woke up in the 3rd as Feline Poot started the inning with a solo home run and three batters later Shanika Klett ripped a double to center to plate another to tie the game at 2. With two on and one out, Charlotte Drijvers poked a single to right to bring home two and three pitches later Natavia Ellis left the yard on a shot to center to make it 6-2 FSW.
Things settled down from there for both sides as the Bucs and Titans matched zeros through the 5th as FSW remained in front 6-2.
Back to back errors from the Titans in the 6th set the table for FSW and safety squeeze bunt from Rebeca Laudino brought a run home to make it 7-2. Later in the inning Taylor Jensen ripped a double to center to score another run for the Bucs to stretch their lead to 8-2.
St. Pete loaded the bases with nobody out in the bottom of the 6th on a single, a hit batter, and a walk, but FSW reliever Sarah Clontz limited the Titans to just one run and held an 8-3 lead for the Bucs at the end of six.
The Bucs added some insurance in the 7th as Eliska Stejkalova triples home a pair and scored herself on a sac fly from Poot to make it 11-3 FSW.
That's the way it would finish as St. Pete failed to score in the 7th, giving the Bucs game one by a count of 11-3.
The Bucs outhit the Titans 13-5 in the win, getting a three hit game from Klett and two each from Ellis and Laudino. Alyssa O'Donnell earned the win in the circle for FSW, going 5 1/3 innings, allowing four hits and one earned run to improve to 11-1 on the year. Clontz threw 1 2/3 shutout innings to close it out for the Bucs.
FSW got off to a huge start in game two with RBI doubles from Laudino, Klett, and Chelsea Brown as well as a three run home run from Poot to take a 9-0 lead after just one inning of play.
Unfortunately for the Bucs, weather moved into the area and forced the suspension of the game, which will be finished later in the season if the results factor into postseason seeding in the Suncoast Conference.
FSW moves to 22-3 on the year with the victory and 3-0 in Suncoast Conference play while St. Petersburg falls to 16-11 overall and 2-1 in league play.
The Bucs will have the weekend off before returning to action on Tuesday on the road in Brandenton where they will take on conference rival State College of Florida in doubleheader action beginning at 5 PM.