(Photo courtesy of Thomas Gaines, Behind the Scenez Media)

Ocala, FL-- The College of Central Florida softball team swept the season series with FSC-Jacksonville by virtue of wins of 13-2 and 4-1 on Thursday afternoon.

Led by Florida State signee Amy Szymanowski, the Patriots jumped to a 10-0 lead in the first two innings of the opener and then made an early three-run lead in the nightcap to up its home record to 19-3.

Szymanowski's two-run homer in the bottom of the first inning of the first game enabled her to break her own single-season school record with 17 in a season. She reached base in all seven of her at-bats over the course of the doubleheader, went 2-for-2 with a double and scored fiver runs. 

In the opener, Cheyenne Blaha (1-for-2, run scored), Lindsey O'Steen (1-for-3, two runs scored, RBI), Autumn Hanners (2-for-4, run scored, three RBI, double), Jordan Lane (1-for-2, run scored), Taylor Morrow (2-for-3, two runs scored, RBI), Jessica Nathan (1-for-3, two runs scored) and Caylee Underwood (2-for-2, run scored, RBI) backed Szymanowski at the plate. 

CF (35-12, 16-6) went on to score eight runs in the second inning on its way to the five-inning win.  

Taylor Bowen (16-6) earned the win and surpassed the 300-strikeout mark for her career. Overall, Bowen allowed just two earned runs in 30 innings of work at home against conference foes and has totaled 34 career victories in the circle.

In the second game, Hanners and Lane had RBI singles in the first inning, while Nicole White's pinch-hit single in the sixth gave CF some breathing room against the Blue Wave (20-29, 7-17), who were eliminated from playoff contention with the two losses.

Jamie Nelson didn't allow an earned run in four innings of work for the Patriots to up her record to 12-2. Hanners tossed three scoreless innings of relief for her 10th save of the season.

CF visits St. Johns River State on Friday afternoon to close out its Mid-Florida Conference schedule.