LAKELAND, Fla. - A blistering afternoon set the stage for the twinbill between the Fire and the Golden Bears. The Fire were convincing 6-0 victors in game one. Game two required extra innings when Brandee Pietrzak provided the late game heroics in the bottom of the 8th that pushed the Fire past the Golden Bears by a score of 3-2.
Game 1: The bats were kept quiet for both squads until the Fire broke out in the third inning. Taylor Stoltz led off the bottom half of the third with a base hit to left. Following the base hit, a sacrifice bunt by Sydnie Malloy put a runner in scoring position. Stoltz, a native of Mishawaka, Indiana, stole third and then capitalized off of a Golden Bear miscue to score the first run of the game to make the score 1-0 Fire.
Additional insurance runs were tacked on in the bottom half of the fifth as the Fire scored three runs on four hits, capped off by Cat Maldonado's RBI single which scored Sammy Jacobson.
The bats stayed hot in the bottom of the sixth as the Fire manufactured two more runs on two hits, making the score 6-0 where it would remain for the duration of the game.
Kiah Ferrell contributed abundantly to the offensive production of the Fire. The Plainfield, Indiana native was 2 for 3 at the plate with 3 RBIs. Sophomores Heather Faulk and Alex Millett were also 2 for 3 in the contest.
Inside the circle, Lindsie Scholwinski dealt six scoreless innings. The southpaw surrendered two hits while striking out eight Golden Bears.
Game 2: Similar to that of game one, the Fire came alive in the third inning. Sam Holcomb was the catalyst for the Fire as she led off the inning with a single to center field. A well-executed sacrifice bunt by Faulk advanced Holcomb to second base with only one out. An infield single by Stoltz set up a first and third situation with Malloy up to bat. Stoltz stole second, and the Golden Bear catcher tried to back pick the runner at third, but the throw was array allowing both base runners to score making it 2-0 Fire.
West Virgina Tech did not have an answer for Fire pitcher Stef Guercio until the sixth inning of the ballgame. The Fire secured two quick outs in the sixth, but Skylar Connelly kept the inning alive with a single into right-center field. A misplayed ground ball in the outfield allowed Connelly to score off of a Madeline Olson single. Head Coach Amber Affholter elected to go to the bench and called upon Kayte Blandford to pinch hit. Blandford came in clutch with a single to left field that knotted the ballgame up at 2-2.
An international tiebreaker was in effect during extra innings. Fire pinch runner Hannah Smith was placed on second base. Cat Maldonado reached base safely on a bunt single to set up a first and third situation. Pietrzak took advantage of a pitch she knew she could drive and laced it to deep left-center field for the walk-off RBI single.
Guercio showed a great deal of resilience on the mound dealing a complete game with eight strikeouts.
The Fire will prepare for their first conference action of the season when they take on Warner University on Friday at 3:30 p.m.
