OXFORD, Ala.- If the #3 Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers are going to bring their fourth straight NJCAA National Championship home this season, they are going to have to do it the hard way after dropping their 2024 World Series opener to Odessa 12-7 Tuesday in Oxford, Alabama before beginning their long road back with an 8-0 shutout win over Abraham Baldwin to wrap up their first day of action at the tournament. 

 

Things couldn't have gotten off to much of a better start for the Bucs on Tuesday as after Esmee Ames fired a 1-2-3 top half of the 1^st inning against Odessa, FSW struck for four runs in the bottom half of the inning with a pair of hit batters with the bases loaded and an RBI single from Maddy Golka to take a 4-0 lead at the end of one inning of action. 

 

Odessa got a run back in the 2^nd on back to back one out hits, and the Bucs had a chance to answer but couldn't in the bottom half of the frame, leaving a pair in scoring position and holding a 4-1 lead at the end of two. 

 

The Bucs had another chance to add to their lead in the 3^rd as Katey McGee lead off the inning with a double, but three straight pop outs left her stranded there at inning's end as it remained a 4-1 game as the teams went to the 4th. 

 

The Wranglers came up with a big two out, two run double in the 4^th to get back to within one  and the Bucs left two more on in the bottom of the inning as they clung to a 4-3 lead at the end of four. 

 

After two quick outs to start the top of the 5th, Odessa put together an FSW aided rally as a hit batter, a Buccaneer error, and a walk loaded the bases before a single brought a run home and tied the score at 4. 

 

Sietske Drijvers gunned down a runner at second to end the top half of the 6^th but the Bucs offense couldn't get anything going in the bottom half as it remained a 4-4 game to the 7th. 

 

Back to back walks and a bunt single loaded the bases for Odessa to start the top of the 7^th and a single to right and an FSW error quickly put three runs on the board to push the Wranglers ahead 7-4. It didn't end there though as a bunt single brought another run home and three straight two out hits made it an eight run inning for Odessa to turn a 4-4 game into a 12-4 game in a shocking turn of events for the Bucs. 

 

The Bucs made some noise in their final at bats, but it was too little too late as Odessa finished them off 12-7 to send FSW to the elimination bracket. 

 

Odessa outhit FSW 14-8 in the contest while the Bucs left nine runners on base in the defeat. D'Yani McKinley and Maddy Golka had a pair of hits each while Virginia Mambelli reached base three times and scored twice. Leah Meyer suffered the loss out of the FSW bullpen, allowing six hits and eight runs, four earned, in 1 1/3 innings worked to fall to 4-2 on the year. 

 

 

The loss bumped the Bucs to an unfamiliar spot at the World Series as they fell to the elimination bracket on day two of the tournament. 

 

With their season on the line, the Bucs squared off with Abraham Baldwin, just two hours after the final pitch of their contest with the Wranglers. 

 

Once again it was FSW out in front early, this time thanks to an RBI double to right center from Nicole Edmiaston to put the Bucs up 1-0 after two innings of play. 

 

After a quick 1-2-3 inning from starter Lea Chevrier the Bucs were back at it in the bottom of the 3^rd as McKinley doubled down the left field line and then stole second and scored on a Filly error to double the Bucs lead to 2-0 after three. 

 

Abraham Baldwin got a bunt single to start the 5^th but Chevrier wasn't fazed, getting a pair of strikeouts to work her way out of the jam and keep the Bucs in front 2-0. 

 

The Bucs got some breathing room in the bottom of the 5^th as Sydney McCray slapped a single through the left side to bring home a run and Skylar Brennan found a hole up the middle to do the same to make it 4-0 FSW. They weren't done yet though as with two outs in the frame a wild pitch brought their third run of the inning home to up the Bucs lead to 5-0 at the end of five. 

 

The Bucs kept the pressure on the Fillies in the 6^th as Golka picked up her third hit of the game with an RBI infield single and one batter later Ella Moore crushed a double off the wall to score her and make it 7-0. With a runner on third and one out McKinley laid down a perfect bunt to bring the runner in and kick in the run rule as FSW won it 8-0. 

 

Chevrier was lights out in the circle for the Bucs, throwing a two hit shutout for her 24^th win of the season.  The Bucs sophomore struck out six and didn't walk a batter in her first World Series appearance since picking up the win in the 2023 NJCAA National Championship Game. The Bucs offense banged out 11 hits with Golka leading the way, going a perfect 3-3 with a pair of runs scored while McKinley registered her second straight multi-hit game, going 2-3 with a double and an RBI. 

 

 

The Bucs move to 55-9 on the season with the results. 

 

FSW will continue their fight back in the elimination bracket on Wednesday morning at 10 AM (ET) when they take on #16 Chattanooga State who fell to Southern Idaho in their opening game of the tournament on Monday. If the Bucs win that game, they will advance on in the tournament with a second game set for an 8 PM (ET) first pitch Wednesday.