FORT MYERS, FLA.- The #1 Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers beat the rain and beat Polk State 5-2 in game one of their Suncoast Conference doubleheader on Wednesday, but couldn't beat Mother Nature again as rain washed out game two and will be made up later this season.
It was a battle early on as Polk scored on an FSW error in the first to grab a 1-0 lead before the Bucs answered with an RBI single from Owen Bowers to tie the game up at one after one.
Polk retook the lead in the third with a leadoff walk and a one out single to go back in front 2-1 but again Bowers was right there in the FSW half of the inning, this time blasting a two run home run, her NJCAA leading 12th of the year to give the Bucs their first lead of the game at 3-2.
FSW stretched their lead to 5-2 in the fourth when Lindsey Corbin doubled with one out and Kayla Domon sped around the bases on an inside the park home run behind her to give the Bucs some breathing room.
Bucs starter Kelsi Collins retired the last six hitters she faced in the fifth and sixth innings before turning it over to Sarah Lawton who notched her NJCAA best 6th save of the season in the seventh to close out a 5-2 FSW win.
The Bucs finished with nine hits in the win, getting a homer and two RBI's apiece from Domon and Bowers. Collins improved to 17-0 on the year, going six innings, allowing two hits and two runs before giving way to Lawton who worked a scoreless seventh.
FSW had taken an early 1-0 lead in game two on an RBI double from Madison Johnson, before the skies opened and forced the postponement of the contest. The game will be made up at a time and date announced later.
The Bucs improve to 37-1 overall and 4-1 in Suncoast Conference play with the win while Polk State drops to 14-20 overall and 1-4 in league play with the loss.
FSW will continue a busy week on Thursday in a pivotal Suncoast Conference doubleheader when they travel to Bradenton to take on State College of Florida in a battle for first place beginning at 4 PM.