Posted: Mar 16, 2023
FORT MYERS, Fla.- The #3 Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers defended their home field against some slithery serpents from Illinois on Thursday as FSW knocked off the NJCAA D2 #6 ranked Parkland Cobras 4-1 and 5-1 behind complete game victories in the circle from Belle Sardja and Lea Chevrier to improve to 27-3 on the year.
In game one the Bucs cracked the scoreboard first as Sydney McCray led off the FSW 1st with a double to the gap and came in to score on a Parkland error to put the Bucs up 1-0 after one.
The Bucs looked like they were going to add to their lead in the 2nd as they loaded the bases with one out for the middle of their lineup, but back to back strikeouts ended the threat and kept it a 1-0 game.
FSW starter Belle Sardja worked a quick 1-2-3 top of the 3rd for the Bucs and her offense rewarded her in the bottom half of the inning as Jaden Goodwin came up big with a two run single to left and McCray lifted a sacrifice fly to center to score her later in the inning to pad their lead to 4-0.
Parkland broke up Sardja's no-hit bid in the 4th with a pair of knocks, but Sardja got a groundout to end the inning and leave the runners stranded to keep the Bucs in front 4-0.
The Cobras got on the board for the first and only time with a solo home run in the 6th to make it 4-1 and Sardja worked her way out of a jam in the 7th with a pair of strikeouts, including one to close it out to give the Bucs a 4-1 win in the opener.
The Bucs outhit the Cobras 10-6 in the contest with McCray, Goodwin, D'Yani McKinley, and Caroline Figueroa each recording two hits. Sardja went the distance in the circle to improve to 10-1 on the year, scattering six hits and allowing just one run while striking out four.
The Cobras didn't wait around in game two as they struck first with a solo home run just three pitches into the ballgame to take a quick 1-0 lead.
Parkland looked like they were going to extend their lead in the 2nd after putting a runner at third with just one out, but FSW starter Lea Chevrier posted back to back strikeouts to work out of the jam to keep it a one run game.
Chevrier continued to handle the Cobra bats in the 3rd, striking out two more in a scoreless frame, but the Bucs couldn't get anything going as it remained a 1-0 game to the 4th.
The Bucs finally broke through in the 4th as Maddy Golka came up clutch with the bases loaded and two outs with a single up the middle to plate a pair before a mishandled rundown on the infield for the Cobras allowed a third FSW run to score to put the Bucs up 3-1 at the end of four.
Chevrier worked her third straight 1-2-3 inning in the 5th and the Bucs offense was back at it in the bottom half of the frame as they plated one on a first and third play to make it 4-1 before a sac fly from Sietske Drijvers later in the inning made it 5-1 FSW.
Chevrier did the rest, blanking the Cobras in the 6th and 7th innings, striking out three in the process to close out a 5-1 win to complete the sweep for FSW.
Chevrier was the story for FSW, finishing what she started with a complete game while allowing just two hits and one run while striking out 12 to earn the win and improve to 8-2 on the year. Offensively Laura Vigna was 2-3 with a run scored for the Bucs while Golka had two of their three RBIs in the win.
FSW has now earned four straight wins over Top 10 ranked opponents to stretch their win streak to 16 games. The Bucs have also gone 13 straight games allowing two or less runs during the stretch. The Bucs improve to 27-3 on the year while Parkland falls to 17-8.
The Bucs are back at action at home at Buccaneers Park on Saturday where they take on Hillsborough and Eastern Florida State at 12 PM and 4 PM with the nightcap of the split doubleheader serving as FSW's 2023 Southern Conference opener.