Posted: Feb 13, 2025
FORT MYERS, Fla.- The #7 Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers remained unbeaten on Thursday, dominating their first two games of the Paradise Cove Classic presented by Retallick Financial Group by a combined score of 16-1 while four Bucs pitchers allowed just four hits in route to the victories.
The Bucs kicked off the tournament with a matchup against the Snappers of Spoon River and neither side could break through early on as the two were scoreless through a quick 2 ½ innings of action.
FSW broke through first as Lizzy Kwakernaak singled to begin the Bucs half of the 3rd and came around to score on a sacrifice fly from Karolina Dvorakova to put the Purple and Aqua up 1-0 at the end of three.
Bucs reliever Giorgiana Woods worked a scoreless top of the 4th with a pair of strikeouts and then helped herself at the plate, drilling a solo shot out to right center to double the Bucs lead to 2-0. Later in the inning the Bucs cashed in another as Noelani Livingstone ripped a single through the right side with two outs to drive home a run and make it a 3-0 game.
The Bucs loaded the bases with nobody out in the 5th before a walk to Woods forced home a run and made it a 4-0 game. Moments later Skylar Brennan cleared the bases with a triple to the gap to open up a 7-0 lead for the Bucs and a Spoon River error allowed Brennan to trot home to bring the game to a close in an 8-0 run rule.
McKenzie Bailey-McDowell started and went two scoreless innings with three strikeouts before giving the ball to Woods who went the final three, allowing just one hit to earn her first win of the season in the circle.
Seven different players recorded a hit in the win for the Bucs while Woods accounted for four runs with two scored and two driven in.
Things ramped up for the Bucs in their second game of the day as they took on #8 Southern Idaho in an early season Top 10 matchup.
The Bucs got off to a quick start as starter Zoe Yzaguirre fired a quick 1-2-3 top of the 1st with a pair of strikeouts and Emily Allegood line a pitch to the wall and motored around for an inside the park home run in the bottom of the inning to give FSW a 1-0 lead after one.
Southern Idaho leveled the score in the 3rd, taking advantage of a leadoff walk with a two out double to the gap to drive home a run and make it a 1-1 game.
The game didn't stay tied for long though as FSW struck right back as Brennan kept the Bucs half of the 3rd alive with a two out single and Virginia Mambelli drove her in with a double to right center to put FSW back in front 2-1 after three.
Yzaguirre struck out the side around a pair of free passes in the 4th and dialed up two more punchouts in the 5th to keep FSW in front of the Golden Eagles 2-1 after 4 ½.
The Bucs added to their lead in the 5th as Nicole Edmiaston had a perfectly executed squeeze bunt to bring the first run home and three pitches later Megan Veilleux sliced a liner past the CSI left fielder and raced around for a three run inside the park home run to open the Bucs lead to 6-1.
FSW took advantage of a CSI error that would have ended the inning in the 6th to score twice more to up their lead to 8-1 at the end of six.
Marissa Wilkinson came in out of the bullpen and finished the Golden Eagles off in the 7th, working around an FSW error for a scoreless frame to wrap up an 8-1 win for the Bucs.
Yzaguirre was outstanding in the circle for the Bucs, going six innings and allowing just two hits and one run while striking out 12 to earn the win and improve to 4-0 on the year. 18 different Bucs got an at bat in the game, let by Allegood, Brennan, and Dvorakova who had two hits a piece.
The Bucs remain perfect on the year at 11-0 with the wins, marking their second best start in program history.
The tournament shifts to Lee Health Sports Park on Friday where the Bucs will repeat matchups with Spoon River and #8 CSI before wrapping up the weekend with Region VIII rival Chipola. The action begins at 10:30 AM with a tripleheader on tap for the Bucs. Admission is $10 with FSW season ticket holders and students getting in for free by showing their badges.
