YUMA, Az.- Ahead of Thursday night's elimination bracket quarterfinal between the #1 Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers and the #2 Yavapai Roughriders, FSW Head Coach Robert Iamurri had a simple message for his team before they left the team hotel "It is going to be like a 10-8 game tonight, are we going to be the ones that have 10, or are we going to be the ones that have 8" the seventh year skipper said. The game didn't play out like Iamurri forecasted originally as it was a 3-2 game in favor of the Roughriders into the 6^th but both teams found their swings and combined for seven runs in the inning to make it a 7-5 game with Yavapai on top.  The Roughriders got two more in the 7^th and it looked like the Bucs, and Iamurri's prediction was going to come up short as FSW found themselves down 9-6 and down to their last out of the game, but a two run single from Pallas Potter and a dropped fly ball by Yavapai in the outfield allowed the Bucs to score the equalizer and send the game to extras.  After scoreless 8^th and 9^th frames from both sides, Iamurri's premonition came to fruition as Laura Vigna launched her first home run of the year deep and out to center to lead off the 10^th to give FSW a 10-9 victory to push the Bucs onto the Final Four of the tournament Friday. 

 

Things didn't get off to the most opportune start for the Bucs in the top half of the 1^st inning as back to back walks followed by two straight singles put a pair of runs on the board for the Roughriders to give them a quick 2-0 lead.  

 

The Bucs answered right away with a 1^st inning run of their own as Shenita Tucker walked and stole second before Caroline Figueroa drove her in with a single to right to cut the Yavapai lead in half to 2-1.  

 

A solo home run for the Roughriders in the 2^nd pushed their lead back to two at 3-1, but FSW manufactured a run in the 3^rd on a successful double steal to get back to within one once again at 3-2 at the end of three.  

 

FSW reliever Kylee Graham kept the nation's top offense in check through the middle innings, striking out a pair in the 4^th and three more in the 5^th to keep it a one run game at 3-2.  

 

The Bucs looked like they had another zero ready to hang on the scoreboard in the 6th, but a costly error by FSW on the infield extended the inning and the Roughriders made the Bucs pay, getting back to back two out RBI knocks to plate four runs and open up a 7-2 advantage.  

 

After going just 1 for their last 10 with runners in scoring position, the Bucs finally came through with two outs in the 6^th as Laura Vigna and Tucker picked up back to back RBI singles to get FSW back to within striking distance at 7-5.  

 

The Bucs momentum was quickly stopped in the 7^th as Yavapai cranked a two run home run over the wall in center to pad their lead to 9-5. 

 

That's when the magic, depending what side you were on, began to happen.  After a groundout to begin the Bucs half of the 7th, another ground ball looked like it would be out number two, but it bounced off the Roughriders shortstop into left field where it ricocheted of her glove and to the wall.  On the throw in, the ball got past the second baseman, allowing McKenzie Wittenberg to motor all the way around to third on an extremely rare three error play.  One batter later, it looked like the Roughriders were going to have the second out in the bag again on a grounder to second, but once again it was mishandled and allowed a run to score while bringing the tying run to the on deck circle. A fielder's choice groundout meant the Bucs were down to their last out, but with their backs to the wall, Carys Platt singled to keep the game going and Pallas Potter blooped a pinch hit single to left to score a pair to make it a one run game at 9-8.  A wild pitch moved pinch runner Sterre den Duijn into scoring position at second for FSW, but it again looked like midnight was going to strike on the Bucs season as a lazy fly ball to left meandered towards the glove of the awaiting left fielder. But just when it looked like the Bucs 2022 campaign was coming to an end, the ball was inexplicably dropped in the Yavapai outfield allowing den Duijn to score and the Bucs to tie the game at 9 to send it to extras.  

 

Both teams went down in order in the 8^th and Belle Sardja worked around a one out single in the 9th, striking out the side to keep it a 9-9 game to the bottom of the 9th.  

 

The Bucs had a chance to walk it off in the bottom of the 9^th with two outs as Platt reached third after a single, a Roughrider error, and a stolen base, but a fly ball ended the threat and kept it a 9-9 game into the 10th.  

 

Sardja was locked in again in the 10th, striking out a pair in a 1-2-3 frame, giving FSW another chance to walk it off in the bottom half of the inning. 

 

This time they did just that as Vigna stepped to the plate for the 212th time this season with a grand total of 0 home runs in the leadoff spot, but picked an opportune time for long ball number one, getting ahead in the count 3-1 before drilling a solo shot into the night to send the FSW dugout into an eruption as she flew around the bases and touched home as the Bucs brought home an ever so improbable 10-9 walk off win in 10 to keep their season alive. 

 

FSW outhit Yavapai 13-12 in the contest, but it was the seven errors for the Roughriders that was the difference as seven of the Bucs ten runs on the night were unearned thanks to Yavapai defensive blunders. 

 

Vigna was the hero, finishing 2-6 with the game winning home run in the 10^th while Platt finished 3-5 with a pair of runs scored and Feline Poot and Charlotte Drijvers each had a pair of knocks in the victory.  

 

Sardja earned the win in relief for FSW, going 4 1/3 innings, allowing five hits and two earned runs while striking out six to improve to 13-3 on the year.  Graham didn't factor into the decision, but was huge for the Purple and Aqua, throwing for just the second time in five weeks, she went 3 2/3 innings, scattering four hits without giving up an earned run and tying her career high with six strikeouts to help FSW weather the storm through the middle innings. 

 

The Bucs keep their season alive, improving to 52-6 on the year while Yavapai sees their year come to a close at 57-6. 

 

FSW advances to the tournament's Final Four where they will take on #10 Chattanooga State for the second time in three days with first pitch scheduled for 5:00 PM (EDT).