April 8, 2025
Bucs Split With Pioneers In Matchup of National Champs
The two teams responsible for the last four NJCAA National Championships collided at Buccaneers Park in Fort Myers on Tuesday as the #1 Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers hosted the #3 Indian River State Pioneers. Indian River took game one 3-2 in a tight battle before FSW cruised in game two 7-3 to split the twinbill and leave the Bucs one game up in the race for their ninth straight Conference Championship.
FORT MYERS, Fla.- The two teams responsible for the last four NJCAA National Championships collided at Buccaneers Park in Fort Myers on Tuesday as the #1 Florida SouthWestern State Buccaneers hosted the #3 Indian River State Pioneers. Indian River took game one 3-2 in a tight battle before FSW cruised in game two 7-3 to split the twinbill and leave the Bucs one game up in the race for their ninth straight Conference Championship.
Indian River struck first in the opener as a two out hit batter, a stolen base, and a single to left brought home a run for the Pioneers in the 1st to give them an early 1-0 lead.
A pair of walks and an FSW error allowed Indian River to add a pair to the board in the 2nd to extend the Pioneer lead to 3-0 after an inning and a half of action.
The Bucs finally broke through in the 4th as Noelani Livingstone led off with an infield single and came around to score on a clutch two out RBI single from Nicole Edmiaston to get FSW back to within two at 3-1.
FSW continued to put pressure on the Pioneers in the 5th as Karolina Dvorakova doubled to right center to begin the inning and scored on an RBI single the other way from Kmari Williams to draw the Bucs to within one at 3-2.
Leah Meyer fired a 1-2-3 top of the 6th for the Bucs and they put the tying run in scoring position in the bottom of the inning, but a strikeout after a 14 pitch at bat ended the threat and kept it a 3-2 game as the teams went to the 7th.
The Bucs had another scoring opportunity in the 7th as Dvorakova led off the inning with a single through the left side, but she was stranded at third after back to back pop outs to end the game as FSW fell in the opener 3-2.
The Bucs outhit the Pioneers 7-6 in the contest with Dvorakova and Emily Allegood picking up a pair of hits each. Meyer went the distance in the circle, allowing six hits and three runs, two earned, while striking out six, but suffered her first loss of the year to fall to 13-1.
The Bucs didn't wait around in game two as they put two runners in scoring position in the bottom of the 1st and cleaned them both up as Edmiaston drove in one with a sacrifice fly and Allegood singled up the middle with two outs for the second to put FSW in front 2-0.
Bucs starter Lizzy Kwakernaak fired a quick 1-2-3 top of the 2nd for the Bucs and the FSW bats were back at it in the bottom of the frame as Livingstone banged an RBI double the other way to make it 3-0 before Skylar Brennan legged out an infield single to bring her home to put the Bucs up 4-0 after two.
Indian River had a chance to get back into the game in the 4th as they put two on with two out, but a line drive to third was snagged by Allegood to end the inning and keep the Bucs in front 4-0.
Livingstone continued her big game with a double to the gap with one out in the bottom of the 4th and Virginia Mambelli brought her home with an RBI single to bump the Bucs lead to 5-0.
FSW continued to have traffic on the bases in the 5th as Dvorakova drove home a run with a sac fly to make it 6-0 and later in the inning the Bucs pulled off a steal of home with runners on first and third as Makayla Jakubuwski flew in to score to put FSW in front 7-0.
Indian River broke up the shutout bid in the 6th, matching the Bucs 5th inning scoring plays with a sac fly of their own and a first and third steal of home to cut the Bucs lead to 7-2.
Down to their final out of the game the Pioneers mounted a two out rally in the 7th, scoring a run to make it a 7-3 game, but that's all they would get as a pop out down the line finished things off as the Bucs took game two 7-3 to salvage the split.
The Bucs banged out 11 hits in the win with Livingstone going a perfect 3-3 with three runs scored at the top of the order and Allegood going 3-3 herself with a run scored and an RBI. Kwakernaak went 5 1/3 innings, allowing just two hits and two runs to earn the win and improve to 8-2 on the year in the circle.
The Bucs split their third straight doubleheader, moving to 38-4 overall and 24-4 in Citrus Conference action. Indian River goes to 34-5 overall and 23-5 in league play where they continue to sit one game behind FSW atop the standings with 12 games left to go.
FSW plays their fourth straight doubleheader against a Top 25 ranked opponent their next time out as they travel up I-75 to take on #21 Santa Fe Saturday for two beginning at 1 PM.
