Posted: Mar 11, 2025
FORT MYERS, Fla.- The #1 Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers won game one of their Tuesday doubleheader with the #6 Miami Dade Sharks 3-0 to move to 25-0 on the year, but came up just short in game two, 2-1 to suffer their first defeat of the 2025 campaign.
The Bucs got off to a good start in game one as Leah Meyer worked a 1-2-3 inning in the circle in the top of the 1st and doubles from Skylar Brennan and Virginia Mambelli in the bottom half of the frame gave FSW a quick 1-0 lead on the Sharks.
Miami Dade had scoring chances in the 2nd and 3rd but Meyer kept them off the board and her offense rewarded her with another run in the bottom of the 3rd when Brennan and Mambelli were again in the middle of the action to double the lead to 2-0.
Meyer struck out a pair in another spotless inning in the 4th and FSW continued to add on with a run in the bottom of the inning when Brooklyn Scott lifted a sacrifice fly to right to bring home a run and make it a 3-0 game.
Bucs catcher Faith Wharton saved a run in the 5th, throwing out a runner in front of a Miami Dade double to keep the Sharks off the board and the Bucs in front 3-0.
The Bucs didn't score again, but it didn't matter as Meyer retired seven of the final eight hitters she faced to finish her shutout as FSW took game one of the twinbill 3-0.
Meyer went the distance in the circle, scattering seven hits in her second shutout of the year. She struck out seven and didn't walk a batter to improve to 8-0 on the year. Brennan and Mambelli powered the offense as Brennan went a perfect 3-3 in her first shot in the leadoff spot while Mambelli was 2-3 with a pair of RBIs.
Runs were again at a premium in game two as Miami Dade stranded five through the first two innings and FSW left four on of their own in the first three to keep the game scoreless into the 4th.
Both sides went in order in the 4th and it wasn't until the 5th that the scoreboard lights came on as Miami Dade took advantage of a leadoff walk and a two out single to break the scoreless tie and then got gifted a run on a dropped fly ball by the Bucs to give them a seemingly large cushion with a 2-0 lead.
After five scoreless innings, the Bucs finally broke through in the 6th as Megan Veilleux extended the inning with a single and Lizzy Kwakernaak drove her home with a triple to right to cut the Sharks lead in half at 2-1.
With their undefeated season on the line, the Bucs put the tying run on in the bottom of the 7th when Brennan singled through the right side, but they couldn't cash the runner in as a fly out ended the threat and the game, handing FSW their first loss of the 2025 season with a 2-1 final in favor of the Sharks.
Each side had eight hits in the contest with Brennan and Mambelli again leading the way for FSW with two hits each. Kwakernaak suffered the loss in just the second start of her career, allowing five hits and one run in 4 1/3 innings to fall to 3-1 on the year.
The Bucs see their second longest winning streak to start a season come to a close as they move to 25-1 overall on the year with the split while seeing their Citrus Conference record go to 11-1. Miami Dade continues their best start in recent memory as they move to 19-3 overall and 9-3 in league action.
FSW will look to get back on track on Saturday when they make the trip up I-75 to take on yet another Top 25 opponent in #22 Central Florida with their doubleheader set for a 1 PM first pitch in Ocala.
