Posted: Mar 22, 2025
WINTER HAVEN, Fla.- The top ranked Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers used six crooked numbers to sweep Polk State Saturday afternoon in Winter Haven, run ruling the Eagles 10-2 in game one before winning a wild game two 12-7 to improve to 29-1 on the year.
The Bucs got off to a slow start in game one of the doubleheader as they went scoreless through the first two innings while Bucs pitching walked the bases loaded and then gave up a two out, two run single to left to fall behind 2-0 early.
The Eagle runs woke the Bucs offense up as they responded right away with a two run single from Virginia Mambelli to tie things up in the 3rd followed by an error from Polk that extended the inning and allowed two more runs to score to give FSW their first lead of the game at 4-2.
Polk's defense let them down in the 4th as a pair of errors allowed three FSW runs to score before back to back doubles from Mambelli and Emily Allegood drove home runs to blow the lead open to 9-2.
A double steal by the Bucs netted a run in the 5th to make it a 10-2 game and Allegood came out of the Buccaneer bullpen with a 1-2-3 bottom of the inning to close things out and give FSW a run rule victory.
The Bucs banged out 11 hits in the win as Noelani Livingstone and Kmari Williams had three hits a piece at book ends of the lineup while Mambelli finished 2-3 with three RBIs for FSW. Lizzy Kwakernaak earned the win in the circle, going four innings and allowing three hits and two runs while striking out five to improve to 5-1 on the year.
The Bucs jumped on the Eagles right away in game two as Williams continued her big day with her fourth knock and scored on a double from Skylar Brennan to put FSW up 1-0 after a half inning of action.
The Bucs gifted a run back in the bottom of the inning as two walks and a hit batter loaded the bases before an error allowed the equalizer to score to make it 1-1 after one.
Another FSW error in the 2nd allowed Polk State to go in front 2-1, but the Bucs offense picked them up in the 3rd as an RBI double from Allegood put FSW back in front 3-2 before back to back RBI singles from Kwakernaak and Megan Veilleux made it 5-2 FSW.
The Bucs added to their lead in the 4th as two out RBI knocks from Mambelli and Allegood made it 7-3 Bucs.
Just when it looked like the Bucs were going to run away with another one, here came the Eagles. The first five Polk hitters of the bottom of the 4th reached safetly, scoring three runs in the process, before a two out single back up the middle tied the game at 7 after a wild four innings of action.
The back and forth continued in the 5th as Livingstone drove home the go ahead run with a groundout before Williams added to the lead with an RBI double to make it 9-7.
Kenzie Bailey-McDowell got a big shutdown inning for the Bucs in the circle in the bottom of the 5th and a solo home run from Mambelli to lead off the 6th padded the Bucs lead to 10-7.
FSW added some insurance in the 7th as Brennan drilled a two run shot the other way to make it 12-7 and that is the way it would finish as Bailey-McDowell posted her third straight zero to close it out for the Bucs in the bottom of the inning.
The Bucs banged out 18 hits in the win led by Brennan and Allegood who had four hits a piece and combined for five RBIs and four runs scored. Veilleux went a perfect 3-3 in the seven hole while Mambelli homered and finished 2-4 with three runs scored.
Allegood earned her first win of the season in the circle while Bailey-McDowell notched career save number one with three scoreless innings to close things out.
FSW improves to 29-1 overall and 15-1 in Citrus Conference play with the sweep while Polk State falls to 19-18 overall and 6-12 in league action.
The Bucs return home on Tuesday when they host St. Petersburg in a conference doubleheader beginning at 1 PM.
