LAKELAND, Fla.—The Fire softball team closed out regular season play with a split against Ave Maria, winning the first game 7-2 before dropping the finale 3-2.
Southeastern (38-12, 12-2 TSC) jumped out to an early 4-1 lead in the first, thanks to a three-run home run off the bat of senior
Anna Martin.
Cat Maldonado also picked up an RBI in the inning on a sacrifice fly.
Two more runs scored in the third on a two-run double by Martin, giving the Fire a 6-2 lead.
Brandee Pietrzak drove in
Bri Girardin in the fourth on a groundout for the final run.
Lindsie Scholwinski earned her 27
th win of the year, throwing a complete game. The junior allowed two runs on seven hits, striking out five and walking just one.
The Fire bats struggled in the second game, mustering just two hits against Gyrene starting pitcher Sadie Mosher, who allowed two runs, walked two and struck out three.
Senior
Annie Weaver picked up SEU's first hit of the game, leading off the bottom of the third with a single down the third base line, but was left stranded after a groundout and a pair of strikeouts.
Ave Maria (21-19, 5-9 TSC) got all three of its runs via the long ball, getting a two-run homer in the second and a solo shot in the sixth to take a 3-0 lead.
The Fire got both of their runs in the bottom of the sixth on a two-out, two-run double to centerfield by Pietrzak.
Southeastern will return to play next Thursday in Clermont at The Sun Conference Tournament.
