Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 LAKELAND, Fla. – The Fire moved to 9-1 in The Sun Conference today after taking two from the #16 Night Hawks of Thomas University. Trailing 3-2 after five and a half the Fire rallied in the bottom of the sixth to take game one 9-3 then completed the sweep with a 6-3 victory.
In game one, Sam Gale's fourth inning solo bomb put the first run on the board, then an RBI triple by Annie Weaver in the fifth made it 2-0.
The Night Hawks took over in the top of the sixth with a three run homer. Southeastern used the deficit to fuel seven runs in the bottom half, but not without a little help. Thomas committed all three of their errors in the inning and gave up just four hits.
Anna Martin and Gale led off the inning with a single and a double, respectively. Two unearned runs followed before Bri Girardin recorded an RBI with a bases loaded walk to make it 5-3. Weaver then hit a two run single to bring Brittany LaCasse up with one out and runners on second and third. Her sacrifice bunt scored Girardin for an RBI, then Weaver crossed on the Night Hawk's third error to conclude the scoring. Cat Maldonado followed with a single to notch the fourth hit of the inning.
Maldonado pitched the top of the seventh and recorded the win. Susan Hinks tossed the first six giving up three runs on five hits and two walks.
Weaver was 3-for-4 in game one with a triple and three RBI's.
Game two got to a much quicker start with two Thomas runs on three hits in the top of the first.
The Fire took the lead for good in the bottom of the first with a bases loaded sacrifice fly by Gale and a two run single to right by Kaleigh Floyd.
They scored another in the second on a sac fly by Maldonado to make it 4-2, but the Night Hawks cut their deficit to one in the top of the third.
Two and a half scoreless innings passed before the Fire crossed runs five and six in the bottom of the sixth. With two outs, Maldonado doubled and Martin mimicked for an RBI. Brandee Pietrzak's RBI single ended the scoring, but not the excitement.
The Fire went out in style by turning a 6-4-3 double play to seal the deal.
An impressive second win went to Maldonado on the mound as she pitched the final four and two thirds innings and gave up no runs on no hits and one walk. She is now 9-1 on the season.
A quick turnaround puts the Fire against University of South Carolina Beaufort tomorrow in Lakeland at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
