Posted: Feb 19, 2022
SANFORD, Fla.- The #1 Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers offense is a run away train right now and unfortunately for the St. Johns River Vikings and the Santa Fe Saints, they were on the tracks this afternoon as the Bucs scored 24 runs in just nine offensive innings Saturday to claim 10-0 and 14-6 run rule victories to improve to 16-1 on the year.
In their first game of the Courtney Miller Invitational, the Bucs took on St. Johns River.
After a quiet start which saw the game scoreless after 2 1/2 innings, the Bucs got the scoring going in the 3rd as Carys Platt laid down a perfect bunt to drive home a run and after more small ball netted FSW their second run of the frame, Feline Poot ripped a double to left to push the lead to 3-0.
The Vikings loaded the bases with two outs in the 4th, but FSW starter Belle Sardja got a groundball to get out of the jam and keep the Bucs in front 3-0.
FSW blew the game open in the bottom of the 4th as Laura Vigna doubles to left to drive home one to make it a 5-0 game and Poot smacked her second RBI double in as many innings to stretch the lead to 7-0. Three pitches later Taylor Jensen delivered the knockout blow with a three run shot to left, cushioning the FSW lead to 10-0 after four.
The seven run frame took any thought of a comeback out of the minds of the Vikings as Sardja worked a 1-2-3 top of the 5th to kick in the run rule as the Bucs took the game 10-0 in five.
Sardja allowed just two hits in her first career shutout to improve to 4-1 on the year in the circle. Poot finished 2-3 with a pair of doubles and three RBIs to lead the FSW offense while Jensen was 1-3 and drove in three with her 4th inning home.
In their second game of the day, the Bucs squared off with the Saints of Santa Fe.
Santa Fe jumped on the Bucs right away, stringing together three straight hits in the top of the 1st to plate a pair of runs to take a 2-0 lead.
The Bucs responded right away as the first five FSW hitters in the bottom of the 1st reached base with two scoring on a passed ball and another coming home on an RBI single from McKenzie Wittenberg to quickly put the Bucs in front 3-2. They were far from done though as Pallas Potter cranked a three run home run out to left to stretch the lead to 6-2 and Charlotte Drijvers drove home a run with a single to left to make it a 7-2 game. After walking and scoring in their first at bats of the inning, Shenita Tucker and Poot got to have some fun in their second trips to the plate in the frame as Tucker smacked an RBI double and Poot ripped an RBI triple to score her to open up a 9-2 lead for FSW after one.
It looked like more of the same was in store as the Bucs loaded the bases with nobody out in the 2nd, but this time a double play derailed their scoring chances and one play later the inning was over without anyone coming home to score.
Things settled down from there as neither team got anything going in the 3rd and Santa Fe plated a lone run in the 4th to make it a 9-3 game at the end of four.
The Saints got back in the game with two swings of the bat in the 5th as a two run home run and a two out RBI double quickly made it just a three run game at 9-6.
It looked like the game might go the distance for the first time in six contests for the Bucs as Santa Fe picked up two quick outs in the 5th, but the Bucs had other ideas. Wittenberg smacked an RBI single up the middle to push the lead to 10-6 and Sterre den Duijn followed suit with a two run single of her own to make it 12-6. A walk to Potter loaded the bases and Ms. Clutch Chelsea Brown once again came through in a big spot for the Bucs, drilling a double to center to chase home two runs and effectively end the game as the Bucs took the game 14-6 in their sixth straight run rule win.
FSW banged out 16 hits in the win with every starter recording at least one knock for the Purple and Aqua. Vigna set the table with precision at the top of the lineup, going 3-4 with four stolen bases and two runs scored in the win while Wittenberg also went 3-4, driving home two and scoring twice for FSW. Potter went 2-3 with her first home run of the season and drove home three for the Bucs and Jensen was 2-3 with two runs scored. Baylee Haggard was the beneficiary of the offensive explosion, going three innings and allowing three hits and two runs to improve to 8-0 on the year.
FSW improves to 16-1 on the year with the victories and has now won 10 in a row since their lone loss of the 2022 campaign.
The Bucs will be back at it Sunday when they take on South Georgia State at 9:30 AM before squaring off in a showdown against #16 Chipola in a matchup of the last two NJCAA National Champions at 11:30 AM.