Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 LAKELAND, Fla. – The Fire moved to 9-5 today with a pair of wins over the Eagles of AIB College of Business, 10-1 then 12-0, both in five innings.
In game one, an obstruction call at the plate gave the Fire their first run in the bottom of the first. With bases loaded, Anna Martin hit a sac fly to right and tagging up, Annie Weaver slid into a limb rather than the plate and was granted the run.
Two additional runs in the same inning put the Fire up 3-0 after one.
The Fire went up 5-0 in the second when Brianna Perez capitalized on a wild pitch after which Cat Maldonado hit an RBI single to score Bri Girardin.
In the top of the third, left fielder Kaleigh Floyd robbed the Eagles of a scoring opportunity with a laser to the plate for the third out of the inning.
The Fire failed to cross the plate in the third leading way to the Eagles' lone run in the fourth; a first pitch solo home run by catcher Jayden Ott.
Brittany LaCasse answered in the bottom sending her first home run of the season sailing over the left field fence for runs six through eight.
In the same inning, a base-on-balls by Cat Maldonado and a double by Martin would set up Brandee Pietrzak for a two run double to conclude the Fire's scoring.
LaCasse, Maldonado, and Pietrzak each had two hits in game one and collectively accounted for the Fire's seven RBI's.
Susan Hinks moved to 5-2 with the win, pitching four innings and allowing a single earned run on five hits. She struck out seven batters including at least one in each inning, and two in the first, second, and fourth innings.
Game two began with a 4-0 Fire lead after one full inning. On six of their twelve hits, the Fire scored each of four runs with two outs. Martin, Pietrzak, and Sam Gale each contributed RBI singles, then Sam Silver bunted for a base hit and the fourth RBI of the inning.
Three additional runs on three hits, including a two run double by Maldonado, put the Fire up 7-0 after two.
Much like game one, scoring lacked in the third, but the fourth brought five more Fire runs on three hits.
Martin led off with a walk and advanced to third on a double by Pietrzak then Gale doubled to score them both. The final three runs were scored as results of two Eagle errors.
With the win, Fire pitcher Emily Bryant moved to 2-1 allowing no runs on four hits and striking out one batter.
In just eight innings of offense, the Fire recorded 22 hits including five doubles and a home run.
Pietrzak went five-for-six on the day, including a three-for-three effort in game two, with two doubles and four RBI's.
The Fire travel to the NTC in Clermont tomorrow to take on Judson University at 3 p.m. and Cornerstone University at 5 p.m.
