LAKELAND, Fla.—The Fire softball team won its first two games of the season with dominant hitting and pitching efforts.
Southeastern won both games of the doubleheader against Edward Waters by run rule, winning 15-0 in the first game and 9-0 in the second game.
The Fire totaled 24 runs on 25 hits on offense, and the pitching held the Tigers without a run on five hits.
It didn't take long for the No. 3 team in the nation to get going on offense. With one out in the bottom of the first,
Taylor Stoltz singled and took second on an error. She came around to score following an errant throw after she stole third.
The Fire ended up plating five runs in the first, getting an RBI single from
Natalie Hughes, a two-run single from
Kiah Ferrell, and an RBI single by
Laney Haynes.
Southeastern added two more in the second getting a run on a Tiger error, and an RBI groundout by
Cat Maldonado to take a 5-0 lead.
The game broke open in the third with the Fire scoring eight runs on eight hits, highlighted by a three-run homer by
Cheyenne Blaha. Freshmen
Sam Holcomb and
Hannah Smith opened up the inning with back-to-back doubles.
Lindsie Scholwinski cruised to her first win of the season, tossing four scoreless innings with three strikeouts and a walk. The senior needed just 58 pitches to get through the 15 hitters she faced. Haynes allowed one hit and struck out one in her inning in relief.
Ferrell drove in the first run of the second game with a two-out single to third in the bottom of the first. A two-out, three-run triple by Holcomb in the bottom of the third gave the Fire a 4-0 lead. After sliding into third with the ball late to get back in the circle, Holcomb headed home and gave the Fire a 5-0 advantage.
A grand slam by
Brandee Pietrzak in the bottom of the fourth put SEU up 9-0.
Stef Guercio earned her first collegiate win, throwing four innings of one-hit ball, striking out five and walking one on 60 pitches. Ferrell threw a perfect inning in relief.
Ferrell finished the day 3-for-3 with two runs scored and 5 RBIs. Pietrzak and Stoltz each had four hits. Stoltz led the team with four runs scored.
The Fire return to action on February 8
th at Eckerd.
