Posted: Apr 23, 2021
FORT MYERS, Fla.- There are many things that are synonymous with each other. Ketchup and mustard, Mickey and Minnie, Florida and Sunshine, and for the past six years, Florida SouthWestern Softball and Suncoast Conference Championships. Friday, at home at City of Palms Park, the #1 ranked Bucs swept St. Petersburg, clinching their fifth straight Suncoast Conference title, while finishing off their first undefeated conference schedule in program history.
The Bucs didn't waste any time jumping on the Titans in game one as starter Alyssa O'Donnell struck out the first two hitters she saw in a 1-2-3 top half of the 1st and Natavia Ellis launched a two run home run in the bottom half of the frame to give FSW a quick 2-0 lead.
FSW added two more in the 2nd when Rebeca Laudino ripped a two out RBI single to left to make it 3-0 and then scored herself on an RBI double from Lindsey Corbin to push the lead to 4-0.
The Bucs stayed consistent in the 3rd as they plated two more for the third straight inning when Taylor Jensen singled through the left side for an RBI single and later scored on a sacrifice fly from Eliska Stejkalova to make it a 6-0 game in favor of the Purple and Aqua.
FSW put the game away in the 4th as Jensen, Sterre Den Duijn, and Owen Bowers ripped three straight run scoring singles to make it 10-0 before Corbin crushed a grand slam to left to blow it open to 14-0.
O'Donnell let her defense work in the top of the 5th, getting three straight ground balls on the infield to wrap things up as the Bucs finished off a 14-0 run rule win in five.
Corbin led a 13 hit FSW attack, going 2-3 with a double, a home run, and five RBIs while Jensen and Bowers each drove in a pair for FSW. O'Donnell's outstanding effort in the circle was overshadowed by the offense as she went the distance on just 57 pitches, yielding only two hits in her third shutout of the year to improve to 18-1 on the year.
St. Petersburg scored their first run of the afternoon in the top half of the 1st in game two to jump out in front early 1-0.
The Bucs answered right back though, getting an RBI single to center from Natavia Ellis and a single in the hole from Chelsea Brown to score another to take a 2-1 lead after one.
A wild pitch allowed the Titans to level the score at two in the 2nd, but the game didn't stay tied long.
In the FSW 2nd Laudino laced a triple to the gap to score two to make it 4-2 and later in the inning the speedster scored on a wild pitch to push the Bucs lead to 5-2.
It stayed a 5-2 game to the bottom of the 4th when Laudino tripled to begin the frame and then trotted home when Corbin lifted a fly ball to right to make it 6-2. The Bucs added another run later in the inning when Jensen bounced a single up the middle to cushion their lead to 7-2.
After two quick outs in the St. Pete 5th, a walk and back to back hits allowed the Titans to get back into the game at 7-4.
The Bucs added an insurance run in the bottom of the 5th on an infield single from Corbin to make it 8-4.
St. Pete continued to fight, getting a two run single to center to cut the FSW lead to 8-6 and the Titans put the tying run on base later in the frame before a line drive to Laudino at second ended the threat and kept the Bucs ahead 8-6 at the end of six.
In for her second inning of work, Sarah Clontz made short work of the Titans in the 7th, striking out the final two hitters she faced in a 1-2-3 frame to sew up an 8-4 win for FSW.
Laudino powered the Bucs offense at the top of the order, going 3-4 with two triples, three runs scored, and two RBIs in the win. Corbin was 2-3 with a pair of RBIs behind her and Ellis was 1-1 officially while reaching base in all four plate appearances. Three Bucs hurlers worked in the circle in the victory with Alyson Marcum earning the win to improve to 5-0 on the year with three innings of three hit ball.
FSW wraps up its first undefeated Suncoast Conference season at a perfect 19-0 while improving to 38-3 overall. St. Petersburg goes to 26-15 overall and 12-5 in league play with the losses.
The Conference Championship is the fifth in five opportunities for FSW who coincidentally has just five Suncoast Conference losses during the same stretch.
The Bucs were scheduled to wrap up their 2021 home schedule on Monday against Florida National, but those games have been canceled and FSW will now close out the regular season on Thursday when they travel to Indian River for a Top 10 matchup with the Pioneers in Fort Pierce.
