Box Score COLUMBIA, Ky. – Lindsey Wilson College, the No. 1 seed and host of the NAIA Softball Opening Round, handed Southeastern its first loss of the tournament today, 10-6.
The Fire took an early 2-1 lead after the first on an RBI single by Sam Gale and a sacrifice fly by Brandee Pietrzak.
They maintained the one run margin through two until the bottom of the third when the Blue Raiders batted around and then some, scoring seven runs on five hits and two Fire errors. This included a grand slam to give LWC an 8-2 lead.
Heading into the fifth, the Fire cut the deficit to four scoring two runs with two outs, but a Lindsey Wilson leadoff homer in the bottom made it 9-4 after five complete innings.
The sixth inning ended in a draw with a run apiece before a last ditch Fire effort in the top of the seventh put the final run on the board.
Cat Maldonado suffered the loss in the circle pitching the first three innings and giving up six earned runs on six hits and two walks. Gale split the day with her, also pitching three and giving up two earned runs on four hits.
The Fire outhit the Blue Raiders, 14-10, but failed to capitalize as they left 11 stranded to Lindsey Wilson's five.
Gale led the Fire offense going 3-for-4 in a second consecutive game with two RBI's and a run scored. Pietrzak also had two RBI's and went 2-for-3.
The Fire will attempt to claim the loser's bracket this evening at 7 p.m. CST (8 p.m. EST) against the winner of Marian vs. St. Francis.
