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Box Score 2 LAKELAND, Fla.—Heading into the homestretch of the season, with just conference games remaining, the Southeastern softball team is looking to keep pace with the elites in The Sun Conference.
The Fire got two big wins on Wednesday afternoon against county rival Webber International 7-1, the 5-4 in extra innings.
In the first game, the Fire manufactured a run in the second inning with a bunt by Bri Girardin, then broke the game open with a four-run third inning. With runners on first and third and one out, Sam Gale hit a double to right field to score Brittany LaCasse and Anna Martin, then Gale scored on an RBI single by Kaleigh Floyd. A sacrifice fly by Susan Hinks gave the Fire a 5-0 lead.
A bases-loaded walk to Annie Weaver in the fifth gave SEU a 6-0 lead. A solo home run by Kayla Montgomery gave Webber its only run. The Fire answered with a solo home run by Cat Maldonado in the bottom of the sixth to close out the scoring.
In Game 2, the scoring started early for the Fire, getting a solo homer from LaCasse in the bottom of the first to take the lead. The Warriors answered in the top of the third on a fielder's choice and a sacrifice fly to take a 2-1 lead.
Southeastern tied the game in the fourth on a sacrifice fly by Gale to score Sammy Jacobson. The Fire regained the lead in the fifth on an RBI double by Annie Weaver to score Girardin to take a 3-2 advantage.
In the top of the sixth, the Warriors regained the lead on a two-out 0-2 two-run homer by Jasmine Rodriguez to take a 4-3 lead. The Fire knotted the game at four on an RBI single by Hinks in the bottom of the sixth.
It looked like the Fire would be able to end the game in regulation, with their first two hitters reaching base safely, but had two runners tagged on at third on consecutive plays to stop the threat and send the game to extra innings.
It wasn't until the bottom of the ninth when the Fire got runners on first and second with one out, following a fielder's choice and a double by Anna Martin, when they were able to win the game on an RBI single down the third base line by Gale.
Susan Hinks earned both wins in the circle, throwing all seven innings in the first game with four strikeouts and no walks on just 83 pitches, then, worked five innings in relief of Cat Maldonado, allowing two runs on four hits with two strikeouts and three walks.
Next up for the Fire is a home doubleheader against Embry-Riddle on April 9th.
