Posted: Feb 26, 2023
LONGWOOD, Fla.- It was the tale of two games Sunday morning for the #1 Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers as the Bucs collapsed late in a 9-5 loss to #11 Pensacola State in their first game of the day before coming back to drill St. Petersburg 17-1 in their final game of the Courtney Miller Invitational.
For the third straight game, the Bucs scored first, but didn't hold the lead long as Feline Poot lifted a sacrifice fly to score Sydney McCray in the top of the 1st just to see Pensacola come back and put up a pair of their own to take an early 2-1 lead.
The Bucs evened things up right away as Caroline Figueroa cracked a solo home run on a 2-0 pitch in the top of the 2nd to level the score back up at 2 a piece.
FSW took the lead back in the 4th as Figueroa walked with one out and pinch runner Camille Graham came around to score when Maddy Golka ripped a two out double to center to make it 3-2 Bucs.
Things looked like they were going according to plan as FSW added to their lead in the 5th when Sietske Drijvers singled up the middle to bring home a run to make it a 4-2 game, but that's where the script took an unexpected turn for the Bucs.
The first three Pirate hitters of the 5th reached base, loading the bases with nobody out. A misplayed ground ball on the infield allowed two runs to score and Pensacola to tie the score up at 4, but it didn't stop there as a bunt single reloaded the bases and a ground out followed by a two out single put the Pirates in front 7-4. The Bucs second error of the inning allowed the frame to continue and Pensacola took advantage, picking up back to back two out singles to score two more runs to turn a 4-2 FSW lead at the start of the inning to a 9-4 Pensacola lead at inning's end.
Down to their final out in the 7th, the Bucs pushed a run across on an RBI single from Figueroa, but that was all they could muster as the Pirates held on for the 9-5 upset win.
The Bucs chalked up 10 hits in the loss, but it was their three defensive blunders that cost them the game as the Bucs errors allowed six unearned runs to cross in the contest. Shenita Tucker and Sydney McCray each had two hits and a run scored at the top of the Bucs lineup while Figueroa finished 2-3 with a homer and two RBIs in the middle. Lea Chevrier suffered the loss in the circle, allowing seven hits and five runs in four innings pitched to fall to 2-2 on the year.
In their final game of the weekend, the Bucs took on old Suncoast Conference rival St. Petersburg.
The Bucs defensive woes persisted into game two as an error on the first batter of the game allowed St. Pete to get something going as they eventually loaded the bases with two outs before Bucs starter Kylee Graham pitched them out of the jam to give FSW a chance to score first for the fourth time in the weekend.
The Bucs did just that as Tucker and McCray set the table and Figueroa knocked them in with a two run double to left before Carys Platt drove her home with an infield single to put FSW up 3-0 after one.
It was more of the same for the Bucs in the 2nd as Tucker tripled home a pair to make it a 5-0 game and scored herself on an RBI single from McCray to push the lead to 6-0. Later in the frame Platt picked up her second hit in as many innings to give FSW a 7-0 lead after two.
Graham whirled her third straight scoreless frame in the top of the 3rd and the Bucs continued to swing it in the bottom half of the inning as McCray drove one in with a single and Ella Moore walked with the bases loaded to make it 10-0 FSW.
The Bucs blew the game wide open in the 4th as Camille Graham knocked in a pair with a single and Platt and Moore picked up back to back hits to make it 14-0 FSW. Guilia Bancora found a hole for an RBI single and Gabby Martin smoked a double to bring two more home to give the Bucs a 17-0 lead at the end of four.
The Bucs looked like they had the shutout signed sealed and delivered, but a two out error in the 5th allowed the Titans to get their lone run of the game before finishing them off 17-1 in run rule fashion to finish the tournament 3-1.
The Bucs banged out 17 hits in the win with McCray and Platt each going a perfect 3-3 with a pair of RBIs and Moore, Golka, and D'Yani McKinley all recording two hit games. Overshadowed by the offense, Kylee Graham improved to 6-0 on the season in the circle, going the distance and allowing just two hits and one unearned run while striking out five for the Bucs.
The Bucs move to 12-3 on the year with the Sunday split.
FSW is back in action next weekend in Columbus, Georgia where they will take part in the NFCA Leadoff Classic. The Bucs will take on a trio of teams from Illinois as well as Division II #5 Jones from Mississippi.