LAKELAND, Fla.- The No. 21 Southeastern University softball team took their SUN Conference opening series in record breaking fashion, taking both games of the doubleheader from Ave Maria by scores of 5-0 and 14-4.
In game one, both offenses were held hitless until the sixth inning when the Fire exploded for five runs all in one inning.
Erica Stahl gave her team the needed momentum with her fourth home run of the season and was followed by a two-RBI single by
Leah Gonzalez that moved the score to 3-0.
Peyton Varela then added two more with a pinch-hit, two-RBI single to secure the 5-0 lead and eventual victory.
Freshman
Claire Sekinger advanced her overall record to 6-1 with a complete game one-hitter.
Gonzalez ended game one going 2-3 with two RBI's and a run scored.
Game two moved the Fire's overall record to 19-4 with a 14-4 run-rule effort. The Gyrenes jumped ahead of the Fire early with a run in the first off of a Fire error and added three more in the second off of an RBI single and two-RBI double to move the score to 4-0 in favor of the Gyrenes.
The Fire responded in a big way with nine runs of off six hits and two errors that was highlighted by two-RBI singles by
Alex Hilton and Stahl as the Fire would also grab two off of bases loaded walks to conclude the second with a 9-4 lead.
In the third, the Fire would add on five more after an RBI single by
Katie Atkins and was followed by an RBI double by
Ashley Ellison.
Haleigh Harrell would round out the scoring with a three-RBI home run to cap off of the five run third.
Kenzie Forrester was granted the win after going three and a third innings and allowing just one hit and no runs to advance to 2-0 on the season.
Atkins, Ellison, Harrell, and Williams each ended game two with two hits a piece with Harrell collecting four RBI's and Hilton recording three RBI's.
The three game conference sweep by the Fire pushed the win streak to 13, a new program record after breaking the 12 game streak completed by the 2016 team.
The Fire will next travel to Thomasville, Georgia to take on Thomas University on Tuesday and Wednesday in another SUN series with a doubleheader on Tuesday and series finale on Wednesday.
