LAKELAND, Fla.- Struggles continued for No. 4 Southeastern softball today as they dropped their sixth consecutive contest, this time to No. 11 ranked Grand View University by scores of 7-4 and 6-3.
The Vikings tallied seven hits in game one, none bigger than a lead-changing grand slam by Kaitlyn Moses in the top of the fifth to give the Vikings their first lead of the contest.
A leadoff walk in the top of the fifth came around to score for the Vikings' first run after a wild pitch and a single into left field. Two more walks loaded the bases for the Vikings' catcher who tipped the scales with a grand slam over the left field wall.
The 5-4 lead held until the top of the 7
th when the Vikings strung together a single, sacrifice bunt, and another single to move the lead to two. A fielding error allowed the final run to cross as the Fire went down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the seventh to end the game.
Claire Sekinger fell to 1-2 after allowing five earned runs on five hits and four walks in six innings.
Chapel Cunningham ended game one with two hits in three trips to the plate.
Game two saw the Fire fall 6-3 despite nine hits from the home team but 11 from the Vikings pushed the No. 11 team over the No. 4 team.
The Vikings struck first with three consecutive singles and a sacrifice fly but the Fire responded quickly with a run of their own after Cunningham singled to leadoff the game, stole second and scored on a
Leah Gonzalez single through the right side.
A two-out error by the Fire in the top of the fourth opened the door for an RBI single by the Vikings for a 3-1 lead.
Four more crossed for the Vikings in the top of the fifth behind three hits, two hit by pitches, and two wild pitches to put the Fire behind 6-1.
Southeastern managed to scratch one across in the fifth after Nicki Wasserstrom singled up the middle and was pinch ran for by
Keira Jones who advanced on a wild pitch and scored on an infield pinch-hit single by
Kaitlyn Quillen.
Gonzalez tallied her third RBI of the day in the sixth to move the deficit to 6-3 after
Jamie Mead led off the inning with a single and scored on a Gonzalez double to left field.
With the series on the line, the Fire produced two ground outs and a pop out in the bottom of the seventh to end the contest.
Autumn Hunter took the loss after allowing eight hits and five earned runs in 4.1 innings of work. Cunningham and Gonzalez both tallied two more hits with Gonzalez adding two to her RBI total.
The Fire will be back in action next week as they head to the USSSA Space Coast for a contest against Goshen College and University of Michigan-Dearborn on Tuesday.
