A Great Day for Opening Day in South West Florida
- Ryan Holden
- Mar 18
- 3 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
Some opportunities don’t come at the “perfect” time.
This one came while I was on vacation.
I had planned to be down in Florida, but at the same time, I had the chance to cover #2 Florida Southwestern for RCH Photography. It wasn’t just something random that popped up—it was something I made sure to take advantage of while I was there. And looking back on it, it turned into one of those experiences that sticks with you more than you expect.
A doubleheader against Spoon River. Two games in one afternoon. And a completely different environment than what I’m used to covering.
From the start of game one, Florida Southwestern was in control.
You could feel it early. The energy, the execution, everything just felt clean. They weren’t forcing anything—they were just playing their game, and it showed. As someone covering it, those are the games where you start to settle in quickly because everything is happening the way it’s supposed to.
Lizzy Kwakernaak set the tone in the circle.
She was dominant, and more than that, she was in control of the entire pace of the game. It wasn’t just about the strikeouts—it was how she worked, how quickly innings moved, and how little opportunity Spoon River really had to get anything going. When you’re shooting a game like that, you start to notice how much one player can dictate everything.
Offensively, the Bucs backed it up right away.
Noelani Livingstone helped get things going early, and from there, it just built. Runs started to come, the pressure kept increasing, and it felt like Florida Southwestern never really gave Spoon River a chance to settle in. By the end of it, it was a 7-0 win and a complete performance from start to finish.
Game two had a slightly different feel early on.
Spoon River showed more life, and it felt like it might take a little more for Florida Southwestern to pull away. But once things started to settle, the game followed a familiar pattern. The Bucs found their rhythm again, started to take control, and built momentum as the innings went on.
Giorgiana Woods played a big role in that shift.
Moments like that stand out more when you’re there covering it—how one swing, one play, or one sequence can start to tilt everything in one direction. It’s not always one big moment, but a buildup of smaller ones that lead to it.
Charlotte Graham handled the rest in the circle.
She came in and did exactly what was needed—kept things steady, limited chances, and allowed the offense to continue building the lead. By the later innings, it felt like the outcome was heading in the same direction as game one.
A 9-1 win.
A sweep to close out the day.
Being there for both games, what stood out the most wasn’t just the results—it was the consistency. The way Florida Southwestern controlled both games in different ways, but with the same level of confidence and execution.
And for me, doing this while on vacation added another layer to it.
It’s easy to separate “work” and “everything else,” but this is the kind of thing that doesn’t really feel like work. It’s being in a different place, a different environment, and still doing what I do—just in a new setting.
That’s something I’ve started to appreciate more.
Whether it’s a championship game, a conference matchup, or a doubleheader in Florida, the approach stays the same. Be ready, stay locked in, and capture what’s happening in front of you.
Because those moments don’t change based on where you are.
And if you’re there, you make the most of it.
CHECK OUT THE FULL GAME ALBUM BELOW THIS POST
