Posted: May 07, 2022
LONGWOOD, Fla.- In a matchup of the NJCAA's last two National Champions, the #1 Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers outlasted the #14 Chipola Indians 4-2 Friday night in the first round of the 2022 FCSAA State Tournament.
Pitching in her first career playoff game, FSW freshman Belle Sardja showed few nerves early on as she mowed through the powerful Chipola lineup through the first two innings of action and gave the Bucs a chance to take an early lead in the 2nd as Sterre den Duijn walked with the bases loaded and Laura Vigna was hit by a pitch one batter later to give FSW a 2-0 lead after two.
Sardja worked two more 1-2-3 frames in the 3rd and 4th and had a perfect game intact as the Bucs continued to lead it 2-0 after four complete.
Chipola picked up their first hit of the game with one out in the 5th, but Sardja got a big strikeout and then a groundout to first to end the threat and the inning to keep the Bucs in front 2-0.
The Indians finally got something going in the 6th, making an FSW error sting with a one out single to get on the board before scoring the equalizer on a wild pitch to make it a 2-2 game.
The Bucs answered right back in the bottom of the frame as Caroline Figueroa reached base for the second time in the game when she worked a walk to begin the inning and later on Ava Worthy, running for Figueroa, scored on an errant throw by the Indians to put FSW back in front 3-2. Den Duijn got the Bucs back going with a two out double to the gap in right center and came around to score on the Indians second error of the inning to cushion the lead to 4-2.
In in relief of Sardja in the 7th, Baylee Haggard was dialed in, pitching around a two out error with a pair of strikeouts, including one to close out the game and give FSW a 4-2 win.
The game featured just seven hits, four for FSW and three for Chipola. Den Duijn was the lone hitter on either side to have more than one knock as she finished 2-2 with a double and an RBI while also reaching base via a walk in the contest. Sardja went 5 1/3 innings, allowing just three hits and two unearned runs and didn't factor into the decision while Haggard picked up the win out of the Buccaneer bullpen, going 1 2/3 innings without allowing a hit and striking out three to improve to 23-1 on the year.
The Bucs win their 23rd straight game to improve to 46-4 on the year while Chipola falls to 39-10.
FSW will be back in action in the State Tournament Semifinals on Saturday when they take on the Seminole State Raiders at 7 PM at Soldier's Creek Park in Longwood with a trip to the State Championship game on the line.
