OCALA – Fresh off a win over the nation's No. 1 team, hitting the road for the first time in Citrus Conference play proved more difficult to navigate for Polk State Softball on Thursday. The Eagles were swept in the doubleheader by No. 19 College of Central Florida.

The long ball was the difference in the first game. College of Central Florida used a pair of two-run home runs to down the Eagles, 7-4.

Scoreless through two innings, Amy Crosby's two-run homer got the scoring started. Polk State got a bit sloppy in the field in the fourth as the Patriots pushed three runs across to extend the lead to 5-0.

Things were on the verge of getting ugly as College of Central loaded the bases with a five-run lead and nobody out. A double play, however, helped pitcher Jamie Reinhardt get out of the inning with no further damage.

The bats for Polk State finally came to life in the top of the sixth as the Eagles brought the tying run to the plate in each of the final two innings. Leia Hurst's two-run double in the sixth got Polk State on the board. Courtesy runner Destiny Driskell came around to score on an RBI single from Karyna Lewis to cut the deficit to 5-3.

In the bottom of the sixth, Leah Clark doubled the Central Florida advantage with a two-run blast. The Eagles, however, refused to go quietly in the seventh inning. After Reinhardt singled home Veronica Fernandez to cut the deficit back to three, Chelsi Rae' Hebert and Hurst followed with singles to load the bases, but an out on an appeal on the basepaths took the bat out of Savannah Jacobs' hands and ended the contest.

Reinhardt, Hebert, and Hurst each finished with two hits in the loss. In the field, Polk State committed four errors, leading to a pair of unearned runs.Crosby and Clark combined for five hits and six RBIs for Central Florida.

Polk State managed to take an early lead in the second game, but a first-inning run was among the few highlights. The Eagles were run-ruled in six innings, 10-2.

The early run came courtesy of Hebert, who singled home Silvia Franzoni in the top of the first. In the bottom half of the inning, the Patriots went ahead to stay on a two-run home run -- their third of the day -- from Gabrielle Rascher.

Central Florida added runs in each of the next three innings before pushing across two in the fifth and three in the sixth. Down 4-1 after three innings, Hurst led off the fourth and capped a nice offensive day with a solo home run to cut the deficit to two. Polk State (12-9, 1-3 Citrus Conference) put the tying run on base in the inning, courtesy of hits from Lewis and Fernandez, but that would be the final threat of the day.

Despite the loss, seven different Polk State players recorded a hit. Caitlin Blankenship, Rascher, and Hayley Turner each finished with two hits for the Patriots.

Swept for the first time in conference play, Polk State will try to right the ship when it returns home on Saturday to host Santa Fe College for a doubleheader. The first game is scheduled for 1 p.m.