Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 WINTER HAVEN – Polk State Baseball notched another Citrus Conference series win on Saturday. The Eagles took care of business at home with a doubleheader sweep of Hillsborough Community College.

Polk State clinched the series with a walk-off win in the first game – a seven-inning contest. Kevin Brunet's pinch-hit double capped the comeback as the Eagles rallied from four runs down to take the back-and-forth thriller, 7-6.

Down 4-0 entering the bottom of the fourth, the Eagles finally got the bats going with a five-run inning. Derek Fermaint broke up the shutout with a two-run single to right field before scoring on Simon Scharff's RBI double to make it 4-3.

Josh Cruz legged on an RBI infield single to tie the game before scoring the go-ahead run on Jordan Thomas' sacrifice fly to deep left field. Holding on to the 5-4 lead, however, proved to be a challenge.

The teams traded runs in the sixth. Cruz walked to lead of the bottom of the inning before going to second on a Thomas sacrifice bunt and third on a flyball to left from Kenay Acevedo. With two outs, Cruz scored on a wild pitch to give Polk State a 6-5 lead.

For the second inning in a row, Hillsborough was able to draw even against Polk State closer Wade Johnson. Justin Allen led off the inning with a solo home run – his second blast of the game – to knot the score at 6. Johnson was able to retire the next three batters and would eventually pick up the win.

In the bottom of the seventh, Liam O'Neil started the rally by drawing a one-out walk. After a groundout that moved pinch runner Hayden Testerman to second and an intentional walk, Brunet got the call to hit for Scharff. Brunet fouled the first pitch off before lacing the game-winner down the right-field line.

It was Brunet's first walk-off hit, but his second game-winning pinch hit in Citrus Conference play. Brunet lined a three-run home run over the right-field wall to give the Eagles a 4-3 win at State College of Florida on Feb. 20.

On Saturday, it was Hillsborough Community's Allen, who did the slugging. His two-run shot in the first inning helped the Hawks race to an early 3-0 lead. They would add a run in the second.

Hillsborough outhit Polk State 10-7 in the opener, but four of the Polk hits went for doubles. Fermaint and Kustarr Webb each finished with two hits for the Eagles. Allen finished 3-for-4 with two home runs and a double in the defeat.

The second game of the doubleheader was far less dramatic. Scheduled for nine, Polk State (17-11, 9-3 Citrus Conference) needed just seven innings to complete the run-rule victory and the sweep, 10-2.

Penciled in as a starter, it was again Brunet who put the Eagles ahead to stay — this time with a solo home run in the second inning. The Eagles seized control with three runs in the third, highlighted by Acevedo's two-run double.

Hillsborough finally broke through with a run in the fifth after stranding runners in the previous three innings. The Eagles answered with two in the bottom of the inning on an RBI double from Webb and an RBI single from O'Neil.

Up 6-1, Polk State killed any hopes that Hillsborough Community may have had of rallying with four runs in the sixth. O'Neil's two-run double served as the big blow as the Eagles extended their lead to 10-1.

On the mound, Gavin Dicks was able to scatter eight hits, allowing just one run and one walk. Dicks struck out three while earning the win.

Six of Polk State's 10 hits went for extra bases in the nightcap. O'Neil finished 2-for-4 with three RBIs. Acevedo and Cruz each finished with two hits and two runs scored. Thomas also scored twice in the victory.

Allen and Angel Matos each drove in a run for HCC in the loss. Matos was one of three Hawks to finish with two hits.

Polk State has won each of its first four Citrus Conference series, but the three straight wins over Hillsborough on Thursday and Saturday mark the first conference sweep. With Indian River State College's split with Eastern Florida State College on Saturday, the Eagles are now in sole possession of first place in the conference.

Winners of 14 of its last 18 games, Polk State will remain home to take on Florida Southern College (B) on Tuesday. First pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m.