Posted: Mar 10, 2023
PALATKA, Fla.- It was a battle on the high seas Friday evening in Palatka, Florida as the Buccaneers of Florida SouthWestern took on the Vikings of St. Johns River in non-conference action. In the end, it was clear who's ship was going to continue sailing into the weekend as the Bucs hammered the Vikings 10-0 and 14-0 in a pair of run rule victories to improve to 21-3 on the year.
The 3rd ranked Bucs jumped on the Vikings right away in game one as speedsters Shenita Tucker and Carys Platt walked to begin the ballgame and came around to score later in the inning to put FSW on top 2-0.
After a scoreless 2nd, the Bucs were back at it in the 3rd as Sietske Drijvers cranked a two run home run out to left to highlight a five run frame for FSW to put the Bucs in front 7-0.
St. Johns River had their best scoring threat in the bottom of the 3rd as they put on a pair with one out, but FSW starter Belle Sardja worked out of the jam and kept it a 7-0 game in favor of the Bucs at the end of three.
Back to back doubles from Laura Vigna and Caroline Figueroa to begin the FSW 4th tacked on their eighth run of the game and later in the inning Feline Poot cracked a two run home run out to left to make it 10-0 Bucs.
Sardja whirled a scoreless 4th and Samantha Smith came in in the 5th to finish off the shutout as the Bucs took game one 10-0 in a five inning run rule.
It was the bottom of the Bucs order that powered the offense in the win as Poot, D'Yani McKinley, and Maddy Golka combined to go 5-6 with four RBIs in the win while Figueroa and Drijvers had a hit each and combined for five RBIs. Sardja went four shutout innings to earn the win and improve to 7-1 on the year.
It was more of the same in game two as Tucker singled to begin the game, stole second and then third before scoring on a St. Johns River error to give the Bucs a quick 1-0 lead. An RBI single from Vigna made it 2-0 and a two run home run from Figueroa doubled the lead to 4-0 at the end of one.
The Bucs blew the game open in the 3rd as another Viking error allowed the Bucs to make it a 6-0 game and two pitches later Drijvers ripped a double to left to bring home another run to push the lead to 7-0. The Bucs continued to pour it on as Platt doubled home their fifth run of the inning to make it a 10-0 game and a bases clearing double by Poot made it 14-0 FSW after 2 1/2.
FSW starter Kylee Graham worked out of trouble in the 3rd and 4th and reliever Esmee Ames stranded a pair in a scoreless 5th to preserve the shutout and give the Bucs a 14-0 run rule win in five.
Figueroa was 2-2 with a homer and two RBIs while Poot was 1-2 with three driven home in the win. Tucker was 1-2 with a pair of runs scored and four RBIs at the top of the Bucs order. Graham scattered five hits over four innings to earn the win and improve to 7-0 on the year and 16-0 in her FSW career.
FSW has now won 10 in a row and has not allowed a run in the past four games to improve to 21-3 on the year. St. Johns River falls to 10-29 with the sweep.
The Bucs are back in action at noon on Saturday when they take on Daytona State in doubleheader action in Daytona.