FORT MYERS, Fla.- After celebrating their 2021 NJCAA National Championship with their home crowd for the first time prior to their 2022 home openers against the College of Southern Idaho, the #1 Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers split a doubleheader with the Golden Eagles, getting a gem from Baylee Haggard in a 5-0 game one win before coughing up a 7^th inning lead in game two to fall 6-5 to settle for the split. 

 

Making her first home start of her FSW career, Baylee Haggard got the Bucs started off on the right foot, striking out the side in the 1^st and working a quick 1-2-3 inning in the 2^nd to give the Purple and Aqua a chance to jump out in front. 

 

The Bucs took advantage of some sloppy defense by the Golden Eagles in the 2nd, using three errors and a passed ball to score four times to take a 4-0 lead.  

 

FSW looked like they were in business again in the 3^rd after a pair of singles to start the inning, but a groundout followed by a failed double steal attempt with runners on the corners, quickly ended the threat and kept it a 4-0 game.  

 

Haggard kept it right there through the CSI 6^th, blowing through the Golden Eagle lineup to keep the score 4-0 in favor of the Bucs. 

 

The Bucs got some insurance in the 6^th as Feline Poot led off the frame with a single and scored when Laura Vigna laced a double to right to make it a 5-0 game. 

 

That is how it would end as Haggard continued her mastery in the 7^th, finishing off CSI in fashion with a 1-2-3 frame to close out a 5-0 shutout win for FSW. 

 

The Bucs outhit the Golden Eagles 7-2, led by Vigna who went 3-4 with the lone extra base hit of the game for either side, a double, and two RBIs.  Haggard was the story though, throwing a complete game shutout, allowing just two hits while striking out seven to move to 3-0 on the year. 

 

 

Game two was a different story. 

 

This time it was CSI jumping on top early, getting three 1^st inning hits to plate a run and then two more in the second to score another to take a 2-0 lead. 

 

The Golden Eagles got a solo shot to left in the 3^rd to push their lead to 3-0.  

 

The Bucs finally showed some life offensively in the bottom of the 3^rd as Carys Platt singled and stole second before scoring on a groundout from Poot to get FSW on the board at 3-1. 

 

Samantha Smith came on out of the FSW bullpen to throw scoreless frames in the 5^th and 6^th, keeping the Bucs within striking distance at 3-1 after 5 1/2.  

 

Singles from Poot and Shenita Tucker to start the FSW 6^th put the tying runs on base for the Bucs and after the pair moved up 60 feet on a double steal, Caroline Figueroa blasted a 2-2 pitch deep and out to left for a three run home run to give FSW their first lead of game two at 4-3. The Bucs restarted their offensive after the home run as McKenzie Wittenberg and Charlotte Drijvers singled to get them going again and Wittenberg came in to score on a groundout by Sterre den Duijn to extend the lead to 5-3 as the teams went to the 7^th.

 

After a quick out to start the CSI 7^th the Bucs shot themselves in the foot, hitting one batter and walking another to put the tying runs on base for the Golden Eagles. A double to right center cleared the bases, leveling the score at 5 while putting a runner in scoring position with one out.  A passed ball allowed the runner to move 60 feet closer to scoring the go ahead run and a wild pitch did the trick as CSI retook a 6-5 lead in the final inning of play. 

 

In their final cracks at the plate, the Bucs got just what the doctor ordered to start the frame as Vigna walked to put the tying run on for FSW.  But that is where the plan hit a roadblock as a pop out to right, a strikeout and another lazy fly ball ended the threat and in turn the game with CSI hanging on for a 6-5 win to earn the split. 

 

The teams had nine hits apiece with Wittenberg and Drijvers picking up two each while Figueroa's 6^th inning blast provided the bulk of the Bucs offense in the loss.  Smith threw 2 1/3 hitless innings of relief for the Bucs but didn't factor in the decision.  Belle Sardja was collared with the loss, allowing two earned runs in 2/3 of an inning to fall to 0-1 on the year.  

 

 

The split moves the Bucs to 6-1 on the year while CSI goes to 4-3. 

 

Both teams will be back in action Friday and Saturday at the Bucs Paradise Cove Classic where FSW will take on Lake Land Friday at 3:30 before taking on #4 Salt Lake in the marquee matchup of the tournament at 5:30 at CenturyLink Sports Complex.