Posted: Apr 02, 2023
FORT PIERCE, Fla.- The top ranked Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers kept on rolling Saturday afternoon on the road in Fort Pierce, first dispatching #15 Indian River 4-2 in a Southern Conference matchup before dismantling former Suncoast Conference foe State College of Florida 11-0 to reach 37 wins in 40 tries this season.
The Bucs got on the board right away in their first game of the day as they loaded the bases with nobody out in the top of the 1st against #15 Indian River before a sacrifice fly brought a run home to give #1 FSW a quick 1-0 lead.
FSW added onto their lead in the 2nd on a big two out swing from Sydney McCray as the Bucs rookie slammed a double to the wall in center to drive home a pair and make it a 3-0 game.
Indian River used an FSW error to score their first run of the game in the 3rd to cut the Bucs lead to 3-1 and got back to within one on a two out single in the 4th to make it 3-2.
Bucs starter Belle Sardja dug her heels in in there, blanking the Pioneers in the middle innings to keep it a 3-2 lead at the end of six.
FSW added a big insurance run in the 7th as Sietske Drijvers singled to lead off the frame and moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt before an RBI single from Laura Vigna padded the lead to 4-2.
A re-energized Sardja made that stand as the Bucs sophomore ace needed just four pitches to work through a 1-2-3 bottom of the 7th to close the Pioneers out and finish off a 4-2 win for FSW.
The Bucs finished with six hits in the win with Vigna the only FSW hitter with multiple hits, going 2-4 with a double and an RBI. Sardja went the distance in the circle, scattering six hits and allowing just one earned run to improve to 15-1 on the year.
The Bucs second game of the day came a bit easier as they squared off against their former Suncoast Conference mates in State College of Florida.
FSW got on the board right away, scoring a pair of runs on a Manatee error in the 1st to take a quick 2-0 lead.
Bucs starter Kylee Graham worked a quick 1-2-3 top of the 2nd for FSW and the Bucs doubled their lead in the bottom of the frame with two more runs to make it 4-0.
FSW blew the game wide open in the 3rd as Feline Poot hammered her sixth home run of the season and 43rd of her career, a grand slam out to dead center to make it 8-0. They weren't done yet though as McCray singled home two more to make it 10-0 and a Manatee error upped the Bucs lead to 11-0 at the end of just three innings of play.
The Bucs didn't score again, but they didn't need to as the FSW bullpen brought it home for the Purple and Aqua, finishing off an 11-0 run rule win in five.
Three Bucs pitchers combined for a one hitter in the victory with Graham starting and earning the win to improve to 10-0 on the year with three hitless frames before Samantha Smith and Esmee Ames fired scoreless innings to close things out. The FSW banged out 14 hits from 10 different players in the win led by Shenita Tucker who was a perfect 3-3 with a pair of stolen bases and two runs scored.
The Bucs have now won 26 straight games to improve to 37-3 overall on the year while their win over Indian River boosts them to 7-0 in Southern Conference action.
FSW is back in action at home on Wednesday when they host #15 Indian River in doubleheader action beinning at 2 PM at Buccaneers Park in Fort Myers.