LAKELAND, Fla. – After splitting a doubleheader against St. Thomas on Saturday, the No. 25 Southeastern University softball team has plenty of chances to tally wins this week with six games scheduled. The Fire host Trinity Baptist for two games on Tuesday, March 23
rd before hitting the road for two more TSC doubleheaders as they travel to Lake Wales on Thursday, March 25
th to face Warner and wrap up the week in Babson Park when they take on Webber International.
The Fire wasted no time getting the bats going in their 9-3 win as they scored nine unanswered runs before St. Thomas scored three in the bottom of the third inning. SEU tallied five runs in the first inning thanks to a single by
Katie Atkins that scored
Sam Holcomb, followed by an RBI double by
Erica Stahl that scored
Madison Williams.
Southeastern has been one of the top defensive teams in the country as they rank third in total assists (245) and fourth in total putouts (558). Their team-fielding percentage of .975 ranks as the eighth highest in the NAIA.
Offensively, Atkins leads the team with a .455 batting average and 25 RBIs. Holcomb and Williams combine for a prolific one-two threat at the top order as Williams has gone a perfect 22-for-22 in stolen bases, good for third in the NAIA while Holcomb ranks fifth with 19.
Freshman
Autumn Hunter has come up big in the circle for SEU, leading the NAIA in saves with three and is sixth with 82.1 innings pitched.
Trinity Baptist and Southeastern have already met two times this season with the Fire outscoring them 24-1 in those previous two contests. The Eagles enter this week with a 3-16 record but have won two of their last three games. Freshman infielder Katie Goodin has been a bright spot in their lineup with a batting average of .377 and two doubles.
The No. 19 Warner Royals have started their season with an 18-6 record including a 3-1 mark in conference play. The Royals are 3-4 when facing opponents ranked in the top 25 this season. Warner is another team that flashes the leather, ranking 11
th in the NAIA with 486 total putouts. A player to watch for them is senior outfielder Alison Yawn. Yawn carries a batting average of .446 and has stolen ten bases on the season.
Webber International enters play with a 17-13 record and visits Florida National before hosting the Fire this weekend. Winners of four straight the Warriors have stolen 56 bases as a team, the second most in the NAIA. Mary-Margaret Maggard tops her team with a .392 batting average and 21 RBIs while Kelsea Friend has a team-high ten stolen bases. The last time these squads met, SEU swept Webber with two walk-off wins back on March 10th.
To follow all the action in Fire softball this week be sure to follow @SEUFireSoftball on Twitter!
