LAKELAND, Fla.—After a week-long layoff, the Southeastern University softball team returns to action with a busy week this week with seven games on the schedule. The last time the Fire took the field they swept Trinity Baptist College in a doubleheader, winning 15-0 and 7-0.
The Fire offense has been key when they've found success so far this season. They rank 23^rd in home runs per game in the NAIA, knocking out 0.75 a per contest. Bailee Moll and Sam Holcomb lead the charge with three and two home runs apiece. Southeastern is also ranked 42^nd in the country with nine hits per game. Junior Lauren Watters has been a consistent bat in the lineup for the Fire as she is hitting a team leading .444 on the season and has also knocked in six RBI's.
In the circle, freshman pitcher Kristyn Dexter leads the Fire with an earned run average 3.15 and seven strikeouts this season. Fellow freshman Megan Froehlich has been the workhorse of the staff, completing 23.2 innings of work with an earned run average of 3.85. She has compiled 12 strikeouts and walked only eight batters.
Southeastern begins their week with a doubleheader in Clermont, Fla. on the 25^th where they'll take on Mount Vernon Nazarene and Point Park at Legends Way Ballfields. Mount Vernon Nazarene opens their 2020 season this week after posting a 25-21 record a year ago. Point Park enters play this week with a 1-3 record to begin the year, with their lone win coming against Florida National 12-3.
The Fire will get a couple days to rest before heading to Columbus, Ga. to take part in the NFCA NAIA Leadoff Classic where they'll face tough competition. Southeastern starts things off with a doubleheader on Friday the 28^th against Georgetown College and No. 7 University of Mobile.
The Georgetown Tigers come into this week with a 7-3 record and rank seventh in home runs per game with 1. Carly Oliver anchors their lineup as she is hitting .485 on the year with four home runs. The seventh ranked Rams have struggled out of the gate with a 1-3 record, two of those losses came against No. 5 Georgia Gwinnett. Junior Allison Vincent is the catalyst for the Rams, leading her team with a .533 batting average and five RBI's.
The Fire have two more games on tap for Saturday the 29^th in Columbus, Ga. when they go up against Thomas More University and RV Reinhardt University. Thomas More carries a record of 2-2 in the early going and is led by senior Andrea Grahan who is hitting .600 through four games. RV Reinhardt comes in with a 10-3 record on the year riding a three-game winning streak. Emily Loveless is a threat at the plate for the Eagles as she is ranked fifth in the NAIA in home runs with four.
Southeastern concludes their trip to Georgia with a game on March 1^st against RV Lawrence Tech. Lawrence Tech is an even .500 through six games this season. Alexa Cherney has been effective in the circle for the Blue Devils; after 19.0 innings of work she carries an earned run average of 2.58 and has struck out 25 batters.
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