FORT MYERS, FLA.- Freshman Natavia Ellis homered in both ends of the doubleheader and three Buc pitchers stymied the high powered attack of #8 Indian River as #3 Florida SouthWestern State remained unbeaten on the season with a 4-0, 10-1 sweep over the Pioneers Sunday afternoon at City of Palms Park in Fort Myers.
In a battle of NJCAA top 10 teams, it was the Buccaneers that struck first in game one. After starting pitcher Kelsi Collins walked the first batter of the game, she sat down nine straight, allowing the Bucs to jump on the board in the bottom of the third. Rebeca Laudino reached on a bunt single and then stole second before moving to third on a sacrifice bunt from Lindsey Corbin. Madison Johnson then drove Laudino home with a sac fly to center and FSW was on the board and up 1-0 after three.
Following another scoreless frame from Collins, FSW added to their lead when Natavia Ellis crushed the third pitch she saw to leadoff the fourth inning over the wall in left for a solo shot to make it a 2-0 ballgame. Later in the inning the Bucs used back to back hit batters, including one with the bases loaded to force home a run and after four complete, it was FSW 3 and Indian River 0.
The Bucs added an insurance run in the fifth on a pair of defensive miscues by the Pioneers, but they wouldn't need it as Collins finished Indian River off with two more zeros as FSW went on to win game one 4-0.
Collins only allowed two hits in her third shutout of the year to improve to 8-0. She struck out nine and walked just two while not allowing a baserunner past second base in the win. FSW had five hits on their end, getting two each from Laudino and Ellis.
#3 FSW/#8 INDIAN RIVER GAME ONE BOX SCORE
The Bucs were right back at it in game two as they plated a pair in the bottom half of the first, courtesy of an RBI single from Ellis and a Pioneer error to take a quick 2-0 advantage.
Indian River got on the board for the first and only time on the day in the top of the second as a leadoff single and a two out infield knock turned into a run to cut the Bucs lead in half at 2-1.
Laudino was on base again for the Bucs in the third when Corbin blasted a two run shot to deep and out to left center field to stretch the FSW lead to 4-1.
Pitcher Sarah Lawton came in out of the bullpen in the fourth to get the Bucs out of trouble and they put the game away in the bottom half of the frame.
Ciara Ford got the scoring started with a line drive off the third baseman's glove for an RBI single to make it 5-1 and three batters later Johnson drove one to the gap for a double to score two more to push the lead to 7-1. They still weren't done as the nail in the coffin came two pitches later when Ellis crushed a three run home run to left to give FSW a 10-1 lead after four.
The Bucs finished off the Pioneers in the fifth to kick in the run rule as FSW took home the sweep with a 10-1 five inning win in game two.
FSW outhit Indian River 9-5 in the game, getting two hits and four RBI's from Ellis and two RBI's each from Johnson and Corbin in the win. Haley Ellefson pitched three strong innings for the Bucs to earn the win. She allowed four hits and one run to improve to 5-0 on the year. Lawton spun two scoreless innings, striking out a pair to earn her NJCAA leading third save of the season.
#3 FSW/#8 INDIAN RIVER GAME TWO BOX SCORE
FSW continues its hot start to the season as they remain unbeaten at 17-0 and are now 4-0 against the NJCAA top 15. Indian River snaps a six game winning streak as they fall to 8-4 on the year.
The Bucs will have four days off before taking the field again on Friday when they head to Ocala to take on #6 Central Florida in an afternoon doubleheader. FSW and Indian River hook up again on March 1st in Fort Pierce.
