Posted: Mar 12, 2023
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.- The #3 Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers got a pair of complete games from their pitchers and their offense banged out 25 hits in a 9-2, 5-1 sweep of the Daytona State Falcons on the road Saturday to extend their season long win streak to 12 games.
There was nothing doing for either team early on in game one as the Bucs and Falcons had just one baserunner between the two of them in a scoreless game through two.
Jaden Goodwin got the Bucs going in the 3rd, singling to begin the inning before coming around to score on an RBI single from Shenita Tucker to put FSW on the board up 1-0. A wild pitch scored the Bucs second run of the inning and Carys Platt laid down a bunt to score a third to make it 3-0 FSW. They weren't done yet as Laura Vigna drove home a run with a groundout to make it 4-0 and Caroline Figueroa had some two out magic in her bat with an RBI knock to extend the Bucs advantage to 5-0 at the end of 2 1/2.
Daytona struck back in the bottom of the inning, getting a pair against FSW starter Belle Sardja to cut the lead to 5-2.
Figueroa drove in her second run of the game in the 5th with a sacrifice fly to make it 6-2 FSW.
Sietske Drijvers drilled a two run single up the middle to make it 8-2 Bucs in the 7th and FSW added another later in the frame for insurance but they wouldn't need it as Sardja induced a 4-6-3 double play to close things out as the Bucs took game one 9-2.
The Bucs outhit the Falcons 14-5 in the win getting contributions up and down the lineup. Figueroa and Drijvers had two RBIs each while Tucker and Platt each had two hits and a stolen base each at the top of the order. Sardja went the distance in the circle to earn the win and improve to 8-1 on th eyear, scattering five hits and allowing just two runs while striking out four.
Game two followed a similar script early on as FSW stranded four and Daytona left three on through the first three scoreless innings of action.
The Bucs broke through in the 4th as Vigna led off the frame with a double and scored two pitches later when Drijvers smacked a double to left to put FSW up 1-0. A sac bunt from D'Yani McKinley later in the inning brought Drijvers home to make it 2-0 and Tucker smacked a two out RBI single the other way for the Bucs third run of the frame to put them up 3-0.
FSW starter Lea Chevrier worked a big 1-2-3 shutdown inning after the crooked number to keep it a 3-0 game in favor of the Bucs at the end of four.
Daytona cracked the scoreboard for the first time in the 5th, but FSW got the run right back in the top of the 6th as Tucker ripped her second RBI single in as many at bats to make it 4-1 Bucs at the end of six.
The Bucs added a run for good measure in the top of the 7th and Chevrier slammed the door in the bottom of the inning with a 1-2-3 frame to close things out and give FSW a 5-1 win to sweep the doubleheader.
The Bucs notched their third straight game with double digit hits with 11 led by a three hit game from McKinley and two hits a piece from Tucker, Vigna, and Ella Moore. Chevrier threw 74 of 105 pitches for strikes in the complete game victory. The freshman improves to 6-2 on the year allowing just five hits and one run while striking out eight.
FSW runs their win streak to 12 games with the sweep, moving to 23-3 overall on the year. Daytona falls to 23-17.
The Bucs schedule ramps up a little bit next week as they return home to take on a pair of NJCAA Top 10 ranked opponents. First up on the docket is a 2 PM doubleheader Tuesday with in-state rival and 8th ranked Central Florida at Buccaneers Park in Fort Myers.