FORT MYERS, Fla.- In a highly anticipated matchup between the winners of four of the past five NJCAA National Championships at Buccaneers Park in Fort Myers on Tuesday, the #1 Florida SouthWestern Buccaneers outlasted the #10 Indian River Pioneers twice, taking game one 7-5 and game two 6-2 to take a stranglehold on the race for the Citrus Conference Title with eight games left to go.

Indian River cracked the scoreboard first in game one, using a one out walk followed by a double to take a 1-0 lead before plating a second run on an FSW error to go in front 2-0 after 2 ½ innings of action.

The Bucs took advantage of the elements one inning later as Kaitlyn Klismith tripled to the wall in right center and Emma-Rose Payette walked before Stephanie Basso launched a towering fly ball into the jet stream blowing out to left for a three run home run to put FSW in front for the first time in the game 3-2.

Bucs starter Lizzy Kwakernaak kept things right there, working a quick 1-2-3 top of the 5^th to allow her offense to extend upon the lead in the bottom half of the frame as Klismith ripped an RBI single back up the box and an Indian River error allowed a second run to score to make it 5-2 at the end of five.

The first three Indian River hitters reached in the Pioneers 6^th to push a run across and put the tying run on base and later in the inning an RBI groundout followed by an FSW error allowed both runners to score to knot the score up at 5.

With two outs and two on in the FSW 6^th Kwakernaak walked to extend the inning and load the bases, flipping the lineup over to Thaima Maximiliana, giving her a chance to burn her old squad after suiting up on the other side of the matchup last season for the Pioneers. After working her way ahead in the count, Maximiliana smacked a single back up the middle, driving home a pair to put the Bucs back ahead 7-5 as the game went to the 7^th.

Indian River put a runner on in their final at bats in the 7^th to bring the tying run to the plate, but the Pioneers decided to play small ball and an unsuccessful bunt ended their chances at a comeback as the Bucs closed out a 7-5 win in the opener.

Maximiliana was the hero against her old squad, finishing 2-4 with the game winning RBIs for FSW. Klismith also finished with a pair of hits, scoring a run and driving one in for the Bucs while Basso's fourth inning homer did the bulk of the damage, giving her three RBIs in the contest. Zoe Yzaguirre earned the win in the circle out of the bullpen, going two scoreless frames to finish things off and improve to 15-2 on the year.

#1 FLORIDA SOUTHWESTERN/#10 INDIAN RIVER GAME ONE BOX SCORE

In game two it was FSW jumping out to an early lead as Basso's big afternoon continued with a 1^st inning RBI single to put the Bucs in front 1-0.

The Bucs added to their lead in the 2^nd as Klismith slapped an RBI single the other way, but for the second straight inning FSW left the bases loaded at inning's end to keep it just a 2-0 game at the end of two.

Missed chances continued to be the name of the game in this one in the 3^rd as Indian River loaded the bases with two outs and cracked the scoreboard for the first time on a hit batter, but a groundout ended the threat of further damage as they left three runners on to keep it just a 3-1 game at the end of 2 ½.

The Bucs answered right away in the bottom of the inning as Maximiliana continued to be a thorn in the side of her former teammates with a two out RBI single up the middle, but they also left ducks on the pond with the score 3-1 as the teams went to the 4^th.

The Bucs gave themselves some breathing room in the 4^th as Makayla Jakubuwski lifted a two run double off the wall in left to pad the FSW lead to 5-1.

The teams traded runs in the 5^th to push it to a 6-2 game in favor of the Bucs and that's the way it would end as Yzaguirre came in out of the FSW bullpen once again and quieted the storm, blanking the Pioneers in the 6^th and 7^th to close it out for the Purple and Aqua to complete the sweep with a 6-2 victory.

The Bucs outhit the Pioneers 10-3 in the win and were able to come away with the victory despite leaving a season high 14 runners on base in their six offensive innings. Nine different players had hits for FSW with Basso the lone Buc with a multi-hit effort, going 2-4 with two runs scored.

It was a three pronged attack for the Bucs in the circle as Alexandra Solo threw the first two innings without allowing a hit, but did not figure into the decision. Giorgiana Woods went two innings, allowing one hit and one run to pick up the win to improve to 5-0 on the year while Yzaguirre closed things out for the second straight game, this time picking up her second save of the year with 2 2/3 scoreless frames.

#1 FLORIDA SOUTHWESTERN/#10 INDIAN RIVER GAME TWO BOX SCORE

The sweep is a big one for the Bucs who run their season long win streak to 18 games while improving to 43-5 overall and 29-3 in Citrus Conference play where they are now five games up with eight to go in their quest for their 10^th consecutive Conference Championship. Indian River stumbles to 37-13 overall and 21-11 in conference action where they fall back into a tie for third place with Eastern Florida.

The Bucs won't get a reprieve in the schedule after the top 10 wins as they are right back at it on Saturday in Gainesville where they will square off with #6 Santa Fe in a doubleheader beginning at noon.