TAMPA, FLA.- Going into Thursday's Suncoast Conference doubleheader with 10-13 Hillsborough, the #1 and undefeated Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers were 12-0 against teams ranked in the NJCAA's top 20. So it came as a shock that the Bucs fell behind the Hawks 11-5 early in game one of their doubleheader before battling back to tie it late and send it to extra innings, just to watch Hillsborough hit a walk off home run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth to hand FSW their first loss of 2019, 12-11. The Bucs came back to win game two 11-2 to split the doubleheader, but fell into second place in the Suncoast Conference standings at 3-1.
It looked to be a typical day for the Bucs as their first two hitters of the game reached base before Owen Bowers launched a three run home run to give FSW a 3-0 lead in the first inning.
They pushed the lead to 4-0 the second time Bowers came up as she smashed a double to left to score Kayla Domon who doubled to begin the inning.
With two outs in the Hillsborough third, the Hawks put together a rally, drawing a pair of walks and picking up a single to load the bases before a grand slam cleared them and tied the game at four.
The Bucs went back ahead immediately as Madison Johnson crushed a solo shot to start the FSW fourth.
That's when things took a turn for the worst for the Bucs. Hillsborough again loaded the bases in the bottom of the fourth and scored on consecutive plays to retake a 6-5 lead. A single on an 0-2 pitch plated two more and on one swing, a three run home run gave the Hawks an 11-5 advantage.
The Bucs answered in the top of the fifth as Pallas Potter was hit with the bases loaded to force home a run and Haley Ellefson lifted a sacrifice fly to cut the Hawks lead to 11-8. With one out Johnson smacked her second home run of the game, this one a two run shot to get the Bucs back to within one at 11-10.
It remained an 11-10 game into the seventh where the Bucs used some help from the Hawks who committed a pair of errors to begin the inning, to get something going. A walk loaded the bases for FSW before Lindsey Corbin lifted a sac fly to right to even the score at 11.
Sarah Lawton worked around a leadoff single for the Hawks in the bottom of the seventh to send the game to extra innings deadlocked at 11.
Both teams put a runner in scoring position in the eighth but couldn't score, sending the contest to a ninth inning still tied at 11.
After two quick outs to begin the Bucs ninth, Johnson ripped her third hit of the game and later came around to score on a single from Corbin to put FSW on top 12-11.
Hillsborough got a one out single to put the tying run on base, but looked in trouble with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, down to their final strike and down by one. That is when a swing silenced the crowd for a moment as the Hawks got a two run, walk off home run to send the Bucs to their first loss of the season 13-12.
The Bucs had 12 hits in the loss, getting huge games from Johnson and Bowers who combined to go 6 for 7 with two doubles, three home runs, and seven RBI's. Lawton took the loss in the circle, falling to 5-1 on the year, allowing six earned runs, after allowing just six all year long, in 5 2/3 innings.
#1 FSW/HILLSBOROUGH GAME ONE BOX SCORE
The Bucs took their frustrations out on the ball early in game two. They scored two runs quickly in the top of the first and then four more in the second as Ellefson homered and Corbin singled home a run to highlight the quick start.
Hillsborough got on the board in the third to cut the lead to 6-1, but FSW answered back right away as Corbin launched a solo shot to start the fourth for the Bucs to make it a 7-1 game.
The Bucs blew the game open in the sixth as Natavia Ellis drove home two with a single and Potter knocked in another with a two out single to push the lead to 11-1.
Hillsborough scored one in the bottom half of the frame, but needed two more to keep it going as the Bucs finished off an 11-2 run rule win to split the doubleheader.
The Bucs outhit the Hawks 11-4 in the win, getting two hits and two RBI's apiece from Ellis and Corbin. Ellefson homered and earned the win in the circle to improve to 11-0 on the year, allowing just four hits and two runs while striking out five for FSW.
#1 FSW/HILLSBOROUGH GAME TWO BOX SCORE
The split moves the Bucs to 34-1 overall on the year and 3-1 in Suncoast Conference play while Hillsborough earns their first conference win of the year to move to 1-3 in league play and 11-13 overall on the year.
FSW is back in action on Monday and Tuesday at City of Palms Park in Fort Myers when they host Iowa Western and Polk State in doubleheaders beginning at 4 PM and 5 PM respectively.