FORT PIERCE, FLA.- The #3 Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers swept the #8 Indian River Pioneers in a doubleheader Friday afternoon by scores of 6-1 and 8-2 to earn their fifth and sixth straight wins over teams ranked inside the NJCAA Top 10.
As has become customary, the Bucs scored first in game one as Haley Ellefson doubled with one out in the second and later came around on an Indian River error to give FSW a 1-0 lead.
A leadoff walk and an error allowed the Pioneers to tie the score in the bottom half of the second, and it remained a 1-1 game through the third.
Paris Woods started the FSW fourth with a single and she came around to score when Owen Bowers doubled to left to put the Bucs back in front 2-1.
FSW gave themselves some breathing room in the fifth as Madison Johnson ripped an RBI double and Natavia Ellis singled behind her to drive her home to quickly make it a 4-1 game. With two outs, Bowers crushed her second RBI double in as many innings to stretch the FSW lead to 5-1.
That was all that Bucs ace Kelsi Collins would need as she breezed through the Pioneer bats in the final three innings while FSW added an insurance run in the seventh to finish off a 6-1 win.
The Bucs outhit the Pioneers 9-6 with Bowers powering the offense with two hits, both doubles, and two RBI's. Collins earned her league leading 10th win of the season, going the distance while yielding six hits and one unearned run and striking out seven.
#3 FSW/#8 INDIAN RIVER GAME ONE BOX SCORE
Game two was locked in a pitcher's duel through three as Haley Ellefson kept the Pioneers off the board for FSW and Hailey Astill had the Bucs number for Indian River early on.
FSW finally broke through in the fourth as three straight hitters reached base with one out and Pallas Potter drove the game's first run in with a groundout to short to put the Bucs in front 1-0.
The Bucs avoided trouble in the bottom of the inning after Indian River's first two hitters reached, but a line drive double play back to Ellefson ended the frame and the threat to keep FSW on top 1-0.
FSW carried their momentum from the defensive end right over to the next half inning and Ellefson and Rebeca Laudino singled to start the frame and with one out Bowers lifted a towering ball to deep center and out for a three run shot to make it a 4-0 contest. They weren't done there though as Johnson doubled to get FSW going again and Woods drove her home with a single to right to push the lead to 5-0.
A one out double for Indian River broke the Bucs shutout bid and plated two runs, but Sarah Lawton came in out of the FSW bullpen to retire the next two hitters to keep the Bucs in front 5-2.
After yielding the two runs in the bottom of the fifth in the circle, Ellefson got the Bucs the runs back quickly in the sixth, sending the first pitch she saw over the wall in center for a two run shot to put FSW back up five 7-2.
Natavia Ellis drove home a run to pad the Bucs cushion in the seventh, but Lawton didn't come close to needing it, slamming the door on the Pioneers with a 1-2-3 inning to close it out and give FSW an 8-2 win.
Bowers and Ellefson led a 14 hit Buc attack in the game, combining for a pair of home runs and five of the eight runs driven home for FSW in the contest. Laudino had three hits at the top of the order and Woods and Ellis each had two hits and an RBI. Ellefson earned the win in the circle, going four innings, allowing five hits and two runs to improve to 7-0 on the year. Lawton finished the game with three shutout innings, allowing a hit to only the first batter she faced to earn her NJCAA leading fifth save of the year.
#3 FSW/#8 INDIAN RIVER GAME TWO BOX SCORE
The Bucs sweep the season series with the 8th ranked Pioneers to improve to a perfect 21-0 on the year. Each of FSW's last six wins have all been against top 10 ranked teams. Indian River falls to 9-7 with the losses.
FSW will be back in action on March 5th and 6th at home when they host Kalamazoo Valley and Miami Dade respectively at City of Palms Park in Fort Myers.