Posted: Apr 16, 2024
TAMPA, Fla.- The #3 Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers continued their late season run on Tuesday, making the trip to Tampa and sweeping the Hillsborough Hawks by scores of 6-1 and 10-2 to run their winning streak to nine and inch closer to clinching the Citrus Conference crown.
The Bucs jumped on the Hawks right away in the top of the 1st in game one, pushing across a pair of runs without a hit to take an early 2-0 lead.
FSW starter Lea Chevrier kept it right there through two with a quick 1-2-3 bottom of the 2nd with a pair of strikeouts and the Bucs offense rewarded their ace with two more runs in the 3rd highlighted by an RBI single from Virginia Mambelli to double their lead to 4-0.
Hillsborough had their best scoring chance of the game in the bottom of the 4th as FSW committed a two out error to allow the Hawks to keep the inning alive, but Chevrier came up big with a strikeout to end the threat and keep the Bucs ahead 4-0.
A pair of defensive miscues for the Hawks in the top of the 5th allowed FSW to extend their lead to 5-0 .
Hillsborough finally cracked the scoreboard in the 6th as they got into the Bucs bullpen to push a run across to cut the FSW lead to 5-1.
FSW got an insurance run in the 7th on yet another Hillsborough error, but they didn't need it as Bucs reliever Leah Meyer worked a clean 1-2-3 bottom of the 7th to close things out and give the Bucs the 6-1 win.
The Bucs needed just four hits in the win as they took advantage of six Hillsborough errors to score four unearned runs. Chevrier earned the win in the circle, pitching into the 6th allowing just three hits and one run while striking out seven to improve to 21-0 on the year before handing the ball over to Meyer who worked two scoreless innings to finish things off.
The Bucs ambushed the Hawks from the first pitch in game two as back to back sacrifice flies from Mambelli and Skylar Brennan made it 2-0 before an RBI single from Maddy Golka and a two run double from Emily Allegood staked FSW to a 5-0 lead before Hillsborough got to hit for the first time.
The Hawks answered right away, stringing together four straight one out hits in the bottom of the 1st to get right back into the game at 5-2 before Esmee Ames came in out of the FSW bullpen and ended the scoring there and keep the Bucs up three after an entertaining first inning of action.
Things quieted down from there as neither side got anything going in the 2nd and 3rd innings to send it to the 4th with the Bucs continuing to lead it 5-2.
Mia Terito and D'Yani McKinley started the Bucs 4th with back to back hits to set the table for Sydney McCray who lined an RBI single the other way to make it a 6-2 game. Later in the inning Brennan lifted her second sac fly of the game and an RBI single from Golka capped a five run frame for FSW to put them up 10-2 at the end of 3 1/2.
The Bucs didn't score again, but they didn't need to as Ames shut the Hawks down from there as Katey McGee secured a fly ball in her glove in the outfield to put game two to bed with the Bucs taking it 10-2 in a five inning run rule.
McKinley was 3-4 with a pair of runs scored at the top of the Bucs order while Golka went 2-3 with a pair of RBIs. Ames earned the win in the circle, going 4 2/3 scoreless out of the bullpen, allowing just three hits while striking out four to improve to 17-4 on the year.
FSW runs their win streak to nine as they improve to 47-5 overall and 34-4 in Citrus Conference action where they continue to hold a two game lead in the win column over Indian River. Hillsborough falls to 12-32 overall and 8-25 in league play with the losses.
The Bucs will finally get to take a breath after playing eight games in the past seven days as they don't take the field again until Saturday when they host Eastern Florida at 2 PM at Buccaneers Park in Fort Myers.