LONGWOOD, Fla.- It was a matchup made for a movie script Sunday morning at Soldier's Creek Park as the Buccaneers of Florida SouthWestern battled the Pirates of Pensacola State in a battle of the high seas in an elimination game at the FCSAA State Tournament. Jumping out to an early 4-0 lead, it was the Bucs surviving and advancing with a 7-3 win to push them through to the Final Four round of the tournament Sunday night where they will take on #5 Central Florida in another elimination contest. 

 

The Bucs got off to a quick start as Rebeca Laudino and Janessa Plummer started the game with bunt singles and came around to score on RBI singles from Taylor Jensen and Shanika Klett to give FSW a 2-0 lead right off the bat. 

 

They were right back at it in the 2nd as Lindsey Corbin singled and scored on a triple to the gap from Plummer to make it 3-0.  Plummer scored one pitch later on a sacrifice fly to right from Natavia Ellis to put the Bucs in front 4-0 after an inning and a half. 

 

A pair of solo home runs for the Pirates in the 2nd got Pensacola on the board and cut the Bucs lead in half to 4-2. 

 

The speed of Laudino and Plummer created a run for the Bucs in the 4th and an RBI triple to right from Jensen plated another to stretch the Bucs lead to 6-2 after four. 

 

A leadoff triple for Pensacola in the 5th led to the Pirates third run of the game to make it 6-3 ballgame, but the Bucs answered right back as Plummer laced her second triple of the game to the gap in left center and scored on Ellis' second sac fly of the contest to push the FSW lead back to four at 7-3. 

 

Bucs reliever Sarah Clontz did the rest, working a 1-2-3 bottom of the 7th, striking out a pair to lock down the 7-3 win for FSW and bring the Pirates season to an end. 

 

The Bucs outhit the Pirates 13-6 in the win, getting four hits, including two triples, and four runs scored from Plummer and a pair of hits and two RBIs from Jensen.  Clontz earned the win in the circle for FSW, spinning four innings of three hit relief to improve to 9-0 on the year. 

 

FSW advances in the tournament and improves to 42-4 on the year while Pensacola sees their 2021 campaign come to a close at 30-9. 

 

The Bucs will play their second elimination of the game tonight at 7 PM when they take on #5 Central Florida for the fifth time this season.