Posted: Jan 27, 2023
CLEARWATER, Fla.- Feline Poot extended upon her program record with her 38th career home run while Sietske Drijvers hit one in her first career at bat as the #1 Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers split a pair of low scoring games on Opening Day 2023. Kylee Graham and Lea Chevrier combined for a 3-0 shutout in the Bucs opener against Santa Fe while Northwest Florida scored a pair in the 7th inning to knock FSW off 4-3 in their second contest of the day.
The Bucs worked themselves out of trouble in the top half of the 1st in their opener against Santa Fe and quickly took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the frame when Sydney McCray singled in her first career at bat and stole second before scoring on an RBI single from Laura Vigna to put FSW on top early.
It remained a 1-0 game to the 3rd when the top of the Bucs lineup struck again. This time it was Shenita Tucker beating out a one out bunt single then using her wheels to swipe her 67th and 68th carer bases before Vigna drove her in to make it 2-0 FSW.
Santa Fe had their best scoring chance of the game in the top of the 5th as they loaded the bases with one out, but freshman Lea Chevrier came in out of the FSW bullpen for her first career appearance in a tight spot and got a pair of strikeouts to extinguish the threat and keep the Bucs in front 2-0.
The Bucs added an insurance tally in the 6th when Sietske Drijvers stepped to the plate for her first career at bat and send one flying over the left field wall to make it 3-0 FSW.
The Saints put a runner on in their final cracks at Chevrier, but the Bucs freshmen remained as cool as a cucumber, finishing them off with a strikeout and a pop out to seal the 3-0 shutout win for the Bucs.
Kylee Graham picked up where she left off at the NJCAA National Tournament a season ago, going 4 1/3 shutout innings to earn her first win of the season while Chevrier was unhittable in 2 2/3 to close it out, striking out five to earn her first career save.
The Bucs outhit the Saints 7-5 in the contest with Vigna leading the offensive with two hits and a pair of RBIs. Tucker also had a multi-hit afternoon, going 2-3 with a run scored while stealing the two bases in the 3rd.
The Bucs didn't have much time to celebrate as they took the field right away again to battle the Panhandle's Northwest Florida State in their second game of the day.
FSW had a chance to strike early on against the Raiders, putting runners on second and third with one out in the 1st for the middle of their lineup, but a strikeout and a pop out on the infield ended the threat and allowed Northwest to take the early advantage with lone runs in the 2nd and 3rd to go up 2-0 after three.
The Bucs got a run back in the 4th on a fielder's choice to cut the Raider lead in half at 2-1 and a big two out RBI single from Tucker in the 5th leveled the score at 2 as the teams went to the 6th.
Belle Sardja tossed a quick 1-2-3 6th for the Bucs to get them back at the plate and the offense came through with a run on a line shot over the center field wall from Feline Poot to put FSW in front for the first time in the game 3-2.
The 7th was a different story as back to back doubles from the Raiders tied the game at 3 before back to back walks loaded the bases and a two out single through the hole put Northwest Florida back in front 4-3.
The Bucs put the tying run on in the bottom of the 7th as McCray singled with two outs, but they couldn't move her from there as the Raiders closed out a 4-3 win to force the Bucs to settle for a day one split.
The Bucs and Raiders had 8 hits a side with Tucker and Poot each collecting two hits and an RBI for FSW. Sardja suffered the loss in the circle, allowing seven hits and three earned runs in 6 1/3 innings pitched before giving way to Chevrier to finished off the last two outs in the 7th.
The Bucs wrap up opening day 1-1, suffering their first opening weekend loss since 2018 when coincedentally, Northwest Florida defeated them in the same event.
Things won't get any easier for the Bucs on Saturday as they square off against the two teams they met in elimination games at the FCSAA State Tournament when they take on #11 Pensacola at 8:30 AM before taking on Seminole State at 11.