Basso Bombs Lead Bucs in FCSAA Opener
Stephanie Basso blasted a pair of home runs to lead the way for the #1 Florida SouthWestern Buccaneers in their FCSAA Championships opener Wednesday afternoon against #20 Seminole State in Clearwater as FSW downed the Raiders 5-1 to advance to the tournament semifinals Thursday night.
CLEARWATER, Fla.- Stephanie Basso blasted a pair of home runs to lead the way for the #1 Florida SouthWestern Buccaneers in their FCSAA Championships opener Wednesday afternoon against #20 Seminole State in Clearwater as FSW downed the Raiders 5-1 to advance to the tournament semifinals Thursday night.
Things got off on the wrong foot for the Bucs as Seminole State took advantage of a pair of 1st inning walks and a pair of mishandled bunts by the FSW defense to push a run across and take an early 1-0 lead.
The Bucs offense picked them up right away though as Noelani Livingstone ripped an RBI single to drive home Thaima Maximiliana who singled to begin the game, to knot things up and moments later Stephanie Basso crushed a two run home run over the left field wall to give FSW their first lead of the game at 3-1.
FSW starter Lizzy Kwakernaak settled in after the slow start, putting up zeros in the 2nd and 3rd and the Bucs added to their lead in the bottom of the 3rd as Livingstone slapped a single the other way and trotted home on Basso's second two run shot of the game to make it 5-1 FSW after three.
Seminole had a chance to get back into the game in the 4th, putting two on with nobody out, but a failed bunt attempt and a strikeout from Kwakernaak ended that threat and kept the Bucs comfortably in front 5-1.
The Bucs had a chance to put the game away in the bottom of the inning as they loaded the bases for the middle of their lineup, but a tapper back to the pitcher followed by a fly out left three on at inning's end as it remained a 5-1 game to the 5th.
The Bucs went to the bullpen in the 6th and Charlotte Graham worked a 1-2-3 frame and FSW couldn't add any insurance in the bottom of the inning as the game moved to the 7th and final inning with the Bucs leading 5-1.
Seminole put a runner on, but couldn't threaten any further in their final at bats in the 7th as Graham ended the game in style with a strikeout as the Bucs hung on to win it 5-1.
FSW outhit Seminole 10-3 in the contest with Basso doing the bulk of the damage, finishing 2-3 with a pair of home runs and four RBIs while Maximiliana was 3-4 with a run scored at the top of the Buccaneer lineup. Kwakernaak earned the win in the circle, improving to 11-2 on the year, going five innings and allowing three hits and one unearned run before Graham closed things out with a pair of scoreless frames.
The Bucs improve to 52-5 on the year with the win while Seminole falls to 34-20.
FSW moves onto the tournament semifinals where they will take on the winner of Wednesday night's Eastern Florida/Indian River matchup Thursday at 7 PM.
