LAKELAND, Fla.—After a 4-2 week, the Southeastern softball team is looking to improve on its 12-9 overall record heading into play this week. The Fire opened up TSC play their last time out by sweeping a doubleheader against St. Thomas on the road. Southeastern will look to continue their strong start in conference play with two more doubleheaders this week against Keiser and USC Beaufort.
The Fire have gone 11-4 since starting the season 1-5 and have leaned on its pitching staff to get back on track. Sophomore
Peyton Varela has been the workhorse for the Fire this season and has been effective. Since giving up six earned runs in her debut against Olivet Nazarene through 3.1 innings pitched, Varela has given up just twelve earned runs in 54 innings pitched.
Offensively, Varela is a threat with the bat in her hands as well as she leads the team with a .389 batting average. Sophomore
Ramsey Sullivan broke out of her early season slump in a big way last week. After just three hits through 14 games to start the season, she hit .636 last week going 7-for-11 at the plate with two extra base hits, while knocking in three RBI's.
The Fire defense has been stout all season long as they rank fifth in the NAIA in fielding percentage at 0.979 and are fifth in putouts per game with 20.5. Additionally, Southeastern likes to manufacture runs by stealing bases as they are 36
th in the NAIA with 30 stolen bases.
First this week for the Fire is a trip to West Palm Beach, Fla. to take on the Keiser Seahawks on Wednesday, March 11
th at 2 and 4 p.m. The Seahawks will enter play with an 8-4 record on the year and will open up their conference schedule with the Fire. Senior Cheyenne Blumberg anchors the Seahawks lineup as she leads the team with a .472 batting average and 20 RBI's. Keiser relies on another senior to provide pitching as Giovanna Watts has struck out 21 batters through 36.0 innings pitched this season. Southeastern is looking to get back on track against the Seahawks as they dropped both games to Keiser last year but won the previous eight meetings.
Southeastern closes the week with two more games on Saturday, March 14
th at home when they host the USCB Sandsharks. After posting a 40-13 record last year, the Sandsharks come into this week with a 12-8 record and are coming off back-to-back losses to Warner. Senior Taylor Boykin is a threat in the Sandsharks lineup as she has posted a .395 batting average and stolen nine bases through 20 games this season. Maria Molloseau anchors USCB's pitching staff as she has completed 71 innings of work, 48 more innings than any other pitcher on the roster. Through those 71 innings, Molloseau has struck out 56 batters and waked just 13 to an earned run average of 1.77. Game times are scheduled for 12 and 2 p.m. at SEU's Softball Complex.
