Lawrenceville, Ga.- Blood, sweat, and tears were spilled today as the Southeastern University Fire punched their ticket to the NAIA World Series after bouncing back from a 12-6 loss in game one against Saint Xavier and taking the if-necessary game in walk-off fashion by a score of 3-2.
In game one, the Cougars took a three-run lead in the first off of two hits and two errors.
The contest remained 3-0 until the top of the third when
Erica Stahl singled up the middle, scoring
Jamie Mead, which was followed by a throwing error that allowed
Haleigh Harrell to come home on the same play.
Three hits and an error in the top of the fourth set up a two-RBI single for
Jamie Mead, giving the Fire their first lead of the day.
The Cougars responded in the bottom of the frame with a leadoff single, two sacrifice bunts, and an RBI single to tie the contest at four.
The scoring would continue for the Cougars in the bottom of the fifth as they would go on to put up four more runs off of three hits and another defensive miscue.
Mead brought the Fire back within two in the sixth with a two-run double that scored
Riley Sanders and
Madi McDaniel.
Four more runs on four more hits in the bottom of the from by the Cougars secured the 12-6 victory in game one as they would force the if-necessary game.
Both Mead and Stahl ended game one a perfect 3-3 with Mead collecting four RBI's.
On the mound, Sekinger fell to 21-5 on the season after going four innings and allowing four earned runs on seven hits.
With their season hanging on the line, the Fire responded in a big-time way with a 3-2 victory in game two after a walk-off sacrifice fly by
Erica Stahl, who ended game two with all three of the Fire's RBI's.
Stahl collected her first two RBI's with one swing in the third after a two-run double into left center, putting her team up 2-0.
The Cougar offense was held quiet by sophomore
Autumn Hunter for a majority of the game as she carried a shutout into the sixth inning but was unable to secure it after a two-out, two-run double ties the contest with just three more offensive outs to work with for the Fire. Hunter and the Fire defense also managed to strand 14 different Cougar runners through the seven innings.
In the bottom of the seventh and with one out,
Chapel Cunningham sparked the rally with a single which was followed by back-to-back walks to load the bases for the junior in Stahl. The Plant City native drove a ball deep enough into left field to score Cunningham and secure their spot as one of the final 10 teams in the NAIA.
The World Series will take place from May 26
th to June 1
st at the South Commons Softball Complex in Columbus, Ga.
