CLEARWATER, Fla.- For the second straight season, the Florida SouthWestern Buccaneers are the queens of the FCSAA after defeating Northwest Florida State 7-6 Friday in the FCSAA Championship Game, in what was a rematch of the 2025 NJCAA National Championship Game.

The Bucs got off to a quick start, plating a pair of 1^st inning runs on an RBI single from Noelani Livingstone and a double steal later in the inning to go ahead 2-0 after one.

Northwest drew even in the 3^rd , bleeding a two out single down the right field line to knot the game at 2-2 at the end of three.

It was more two out magic for the Raiders in the 4^th as three straight singles and a bases loaded walk gave Northwest three runs to take their first lead of the game at 5-2.

The Raiders kept the pressure on the Bucs in the 5^th, getting a two out double to keep the inning going and a line drive single back off FSW reliever Zoe Yzaguirre to plate their sixth two out run of the game to make it 6-2 Northwest.

The Bucs didn't give up though as their first three batters of the bottom of the 5^th reached base to load the bases with nobody out. Livingstone ripped a single back up the middle to bring home two and one batter later Stephanie Basso followed suit to drive home a third tally to get FSW to within one at 6-5. A sacrifice fly off the bat of Makayla Jakubuwski tied the game at 6 and a bunt single from Mikan Nishiya and ensuing chaos resulted in another run for the Bucs to give them the lead back at 7-6 at the end of a wild 5^th inning.

Yzaguirre worked around a two out single in the 6^th to put up a big zero for the Bucs, but FSW couldn't add any insurance in the bottom of the inning as the game went to the 7^th with the Bucs clinging to a 7-6 lead.

With the heart of the Northwest order up in the 7^th, Yzaguirre came up big, working a 1-2-3 frame, getting a pop up on the infield that settled in the glove of shortstop Thaima Maximiliana to close it out and give FSW the 2026 FCSAA Championship.

Livingstone led the Bucs offense, going 2-3 with 3 RBIs in the win to earn Most Valuable Player honors for the tournament. Kaitlyn Klismith went 2-3 with a run scored to finish the tournament hitting .667. Lizzy Kwakernaak added two hits, including FSW's only extra base hit of the game with a double from the nine hole. Yzaguirre earned the win in the circle to improve to 19-2 on the year, going 3 1/3 innings, allowing just three hits and one unearned run while striking out four to pick up Most Outstanding Pitcher accolades for the week.

The Bucs win their 29^th straight to improve to 54-5 on the year while Northwest Florida drops to a matching 54-5.

FSW punches their ticket to their sixth straight NJCAA World Series where they will look for National Championship number four beginning May 25^th in Oxford, Alabama.

#1 FLORIDA SOUTHWESTERN/#2 NORTHWEST FLORIDA BOX SCORE

PHOTO GALLERY BY SIMONE AMADUZZI