FORT MYERS, Fla.- It was a tale of two games for the #3 Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers on Saturday at Buccaneers Park in Fort Myers as FSW dominated the visiting Eastern Florida State Titans 11-0 in a five inning run rule in game one of the doubleheader before being forced to hang on late for a 6-5 win in game two to finish off the sweep and run their winning streak to 11 games. 

 

The Bucs used their speed to create havoc for the Titans early on in game one as D'Yani McKinley reached on a bunt single to begin the FSW half of the 1^st and stole second before executing a double steal with fellow speedster Sydney McCray and scoring on an Eastern Florida error to give the Bucs a 1-0 lead. Later in the inning, another double steal for the Bucs netted them their second run of the frame and after a walk to set the table for Skylar Brennan, she pounded a double into the gap in right center to double the lead to 4-0 at the end of one. 

 

The Bucs added to their lead in the 3^rd on an RBI from Emily Allegood  to make it 5-0 as the teams went to the 4th. 

 

Eastern Florida had their best scoring chance of game one in the top of the 4^th as they loaded the bases with two outs, but Bucs starter Lea Chevrier dialed up a big strikeout to get out of the jam and keep it a 5-0 game after 3 1/2. 

 

FSW blew the game open in the bottom of the 4^th, all with two outs, as Virginia Mambelli drilled her second double of the game, this one scoring a pair before back to back RBI doubles from Brennan and Allegood stretched the lead to 9-0 Buccaneers. The Titans went to the bullpen but didn't get the relief they were looking for as Ella Moore greeted the new arm with a two run shot over the right field wall to make it an 11-0 game at the end of four complete. 

 

 With the game in hand, the final thing to figure out was what the final score would end up and Chevrier put up her fifth straight zero to answer that question, finishing off a complete game shutout in the circle as the Bucs took game one 11-0 in five. 

 

FSW banged out 10 hits in the win including six for extra bases. Brennan and Mambelli combined to go a perfect 5-5 with four doubles and five RBIs while McCray was 2-2 with a pair of runs scored and Allegood and Moore each drove in two for the Bucs. Chevrier improved to 22-0 on the year in the circle with the victory, going the distance and allowing just four hits while striking out five in her second complete game shutout of the year. 

 

 

Once again the Bucs wasted no time in getting out to an early lead in game two as McKinley was in the middle of it again, walking to start the FSW half of the 1^st and swiping her third base of the day before coming home on a bullet through the left side from Sietske Drijvers to put the Bucs up 1-0 after one. 

 

Bucs starter Esmee Ames cruised through the 2^nd and 3^rd innings, retiring a potent Titan lineup in order in both frames before the Bucs loaded the bases with one out before grounding into a double play in the bottom of the 3^rd to end the inning to keep it a 1-0 game after three. 

 

The Bucs doubled their lead in the 4^th as Brennan continued to swing a hot bat with a one out single before coming around to score on a double to the wall from Nicole Edmiaston to make it 2-0 FSW. 

 

Ames struck out two more in a scoreless 5^th and allowed the FSW offense to add onto the lead in the bottom half of the inning as McCray drilled a two run triple to right center to make it 4-0 before Drijvers and Edmiaston brought home runs of their own later in the inning to pad the lead to 6-0 at the end of five complete. 

 

It looked like the game was all but done as the teams went to the 7^th with FSW leading 6-0 and keeping Eastern off the scoreboard in all 11 innings of the doubleheader, but someone didn't relay the message to the Titans who came out swinging in their final at bats, getting some help by an FSW error and a bases loaded hit batter to get them on the board to cut the Bucs lead to 6-2. With the tying run coming to the plate, FSW went back to starter Esmee Ames on a re-entry, but a double to the gap emptied the bases and made it a 6-5 game with just one out in the frame. A pop out got the Bucs one out closer to victory, but a Titan single up the middle put the tying run just 60 feet away with runners on the corner and two outs.  The Bucs went to the bullpen for the second time in the inning as they called upon their game one starter, Chevrier to try to finish things off and that looked in question as the Titans drilled a line drive to right field before Brennan made a spectacular catch to save the game and give FSW a 6-5 win. 

 

Eastern Florida actually outhit FSW 9-7 in the contest, but it was McKinley, McCray, and Drijvers at the top of the Bucs order doing enough damage to led FSW to victory. McKinley finished 1-2 with a pair of walks and two runs scored while McCray was 2-3 with a double, a triple, and two RBIs, and Drijvers was 2-4 with two RBIs of her own. Ames earned the win in the circle to improve to 18-4 on the year, going 6 1/3 shutout innings across two stints on the mound, allowing seven hits while striking out six. 

 

 

FSW runs their win streak to 11 with the sweep, inching closer to the 50 win mark as they improve to 49-5 overall and 36-4 in Citrus Conference play where they remain one game in front of #4 Indian River in the race for the league championship. Eastern Florida drops to 34-22 on the year and 19-21 in league play, but holds their game and a half cushion over Miami Dade for the final playoff ticket in the Citrus Conference after the Sharks were swept by #8 Central Florida Saturday. 

 

FSW will be back in action on Tuesday when they make the trip to Fort Pierce to take on #4 Indian River with the Citrus Conference Championship potentially on the line.