LAKELAND, Fla.- Southeastern softball (12-8, 3-0) are currently the only undefeated team in the Sun Conference after sweeping their SUN series opener against Webber International, taking game two 6-1 and game three 8-1.
In the Fire's game first game of today's doubleheader,
Autumn Hunter moved to 6-4 with a complete game where she allowed just one earned run on four hits and striking out five.
Both teams were held scoreless through the first two frames with the Fire striking first with two runs in the third. Two singles by
Chapel Cunningham and
Erica Stahl set up a sacrifice fly situation for the Fire's top run-producer,
Leah Gonzalez, who brought the first run home with a sacrifice fly to left field.
Danielle Wasserstrom then picked up her first collegiate RBI with a single into right field, scoring
Jamie Mead and advancing the Fire lead to two.
The next inning for the Fire saw four more runs on two hits and two errors by the Warriors, allowing a 6-0 lead for the Fire by the conclusion of the inning.
Karah Schultz led off the inning with a walk and was moved into scoring position with a double into left center by
Lauren Sekinger. Back-to-back infield errors brought both Sekinger and Cunningham home.
Down to their final out, the Warriors managed to avoid a shutout after a single, wild pitch, and RBI groundout brought the score to 6-1 with the contest ending just a batter later.
Cunningham ended game one 2-4 with two runs scored and an RBI.
Claire Sekinger moved to 5-2 with her second win of the weekend in game two after going six innings and allowing just one earned run on four hits and striking out five.
Southeastern again struck first in the bottom of the third after a leadoff walk to
Madi McDaniel came around to score on a well-executed squeeze play by Mead. Stahl picked up an RBI two batters later with a sacrifice fly into left field and was followed by an RBI-single by Gonzalez to give the Fire a 3-0 lead.
The Warriors responded with one in the following frame after a one-out double and two-out RBI single to left field.
The 3-1 lead held until the fifth when it was extended by another Gonzalez RBI, scoring Cunningham on a single to center field. Another fielding error by the Warriors brought Mead home for a 5-1 lead.
The final runs came in the bottom of the sixth when freshman
Kaitlyn Quillen was granted a pinch hit opportunity and took the most of it, blasting her first collegiate home run over the center field wall for a 7-1 lead. Stahl added one more with an RBI single up the middle later in the inning to clinch the 8-1 win and series sweep.
Cunningham added two more hits and three more runs scored in game two while Mead and Gonzalez both tallied two more hits. Stahl and Gonzalez recorded two RBI's a piece.
A quick turn around for the Fire will see a home doubleheader on Monday at 1 and 3 p.m. against Avila University.
