Posted: Apr 23, 2024
FORT PIERCE, Fla.- For the second time during the 2024 regular season, the Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers and the Indian River Pioneers collided in an NJCAA Top 5 matchup Tuesday afternoon in Fort Pierce and for the second time the showdown ended in a split as #4 Indian River took game one 8-5 before #3 FSW captured game two 7-3 for their 50th win of the season. The Bucs reach the 50 win mark for the seventh time in eight complete seasons since their inception in 2016.
Game one was a pitcher's dual early on as FSW went nine up and nine down through the first three innings while Indian River went without a hit through two to keep the game scoreless through 2 1/2.
The Pioneers broke through in a big way in the 3rd as three straight successful bunts loaded the bases with nobody out before three consecutive hits quickly made it a 4-0 game in favor of Indian River. The Pioneers added two more runs on back to back sacrifice flies later in the frame to extend their lead to 6-0 at the end of three innings of action.
The Bucs went down 1-2-3 again in the 4th and Indian River padded their lead with two more runs in the bottom of the inning to shockingly make it 8-0 Pioneers after four.
FSW finally got their first baserunner of the game to start the 5th and they broke up the Pioneers' shutout with an RBI single from Ella Moore to make it an 8-1 game. Later in the inning Nicole Edmiaston banged a pinch hit RBI double to plate the Bucs second run of the inning and the continued to inch closer on back to back RBI singles from D'Yani McKinley and Sydney McCray to get back to within three at 8-5 at the end of five.
The Bucs couldn't sustain their momentum as they went down in order in the 6th and again in the 7th as their comeback bid came up short with Indian River finishing off an 8-5 win in the opener.
FSW went without a baserunner in six of seven innings, recording all six of their hits in the game in the five run 5th. Esmee Ames suffered the loss in the circle, allowing six hits and six runs in two innings pitched to fall to 18-5 on the year. Emily Allegood closed the game with 1 2/3 scoreless innings in the circle for FSW.
It took the Bucs just five pitches to do what it took them five innings to do in game one as McKinley lined a single to begin the game and quickly came around to score on a triple from McCray to give FSW a quick 1-0 lead in the 1st.
It remained a 1-0 game to the bottom of the 3rd when Indian River strung together a pair of hits and a sac fly to bring home a run to tie things at 1.
FSW answered with sac fly of their own off the bat of Moore to retake the lead, but it didn't last long as Indian River used a pair of FSW defensive miscues in the bottom half of the inning to score twice and take their first lead of the game at 3-2 at the end of four.
The Bucs came out swinging in the 5th as Sietske Drijvers ripped a leadoff double to start the inning and Virginia Mambelli followed her with a two bagger of her own to drive her home and tie the game back up at 3 apiece.
Allegood was locked in in the circle in the 5th for FSW, striking out a pair in a 1-2-3 frame to get the Bucs right back in the dugout and up to the plate with a chance to retake the lead.
The Bucs manufactured a run in the 6th as Moore doubled to start the frame and moved up on a sac bunt before scoring on a sac fly to put FSW back in front 4-3.
FSW added some insurance in the top of the 7th as Drijvers pulled her second double of the game down the left field line to drive home a run before Mambelli knocked her in with a single to make it 6-3. Later in the inning Moore picked up her second hit in as many innings, an RBI single the other way to pad the Bucs lead to 7-3 after 6 1/2.
Indian River made some noise in the 7th, putting their first two hitters on, but Allegood slammed the door from there, getting three straight ground balls on the infield to put the fire out and give the Bucs a 7-3 win to split the doubleheader.
FSW banged out 14 hits in the win led by McKinley and Mambelli who had three apiece and Drijvers and Moore who had two hits each and accounted for six combined runs. Allegood earned the win in the circle for the Bucs, going 3 2/3 scoreless out of the bullpen allowing just two hits to improve to 6-0 on the year.
The game two win for FSW gives the Bucs 50 wins on the year, their seventh time in eight seasons as a program with 50 or more victories. The Bucs move to 50-6 overall, but more importantly 37-5 in Citrus Conference play where they remain one game up on the Pioneers with just two to go as they zone in on their eighth straight conference championship. Indian River goes to 48-7 overall and 36-6 in league play with the split where they clinch no worse than second place in the league standings.
FSW wraps up the regular season on Saturday at home against Polk State on Sophomore Day at the park where they will honor their eight sophomores playing in their final home games as Buccaneers in a pregame ceremony before their 1 PM start with the Eagles.