GULF SHORES, Ala.- In day one of the Gulf Coast Invitational, Southeastern softball picked up two statement wins, downing No. 12 ranked William Carey 6-4 and No. 24 ranked University of the Cumberlands by a score of 4-1.
Game one saw the Crusaders capitalize on an early walk after a double off the wall scored the two-out walk for the first run of the contest.
The Fire responded in the bottom of the second after
Leah Gonzalez blasted a solo home run to lead off the inning. Nicki Wasserstrom then reached base after getting hit by a pitch and would come around to score after a sacrifice bunt, single into center field by
Karah Schultz, and an RBI groundout by
Lauren Sekinger.
The 2-1 Fire lead held until the top of the fifth when the Crusaders tied the contest with a solo home run. In the bottom of the frame, the Fire managed to exploit the Crusaders defense after scoring four runs on four errors and three infield singles, taking a 6-2 lead into the sixth.
In the sixth, the Crusaders got a runner into scoring position behind a hit by pitch and wild pitch and went on to steal home to move the score to 6-3. A Fire error and single allowed the fourth run to cross but the Fire managed to fend off the Crusaders for the remainder of the contest, taking the 6-4 win.
Autumn Hunter earned the win after going a complete seven innings and giving up three earned runs on six hits. Gonzalez concluded game one 2-3 with two RBI's while
Riley Sanders also tallied two hits.
In game two,
Claire Sekinger tossed a career-best performance after striking out 15 batters and allowing just two hits in a complete seven innings against No. 24 ranked Patriots.
After a scoreless four innings by both sides, the Fire got on the board first after
Haleigh Harrell reached on a leadoff walk, advanced to second on an error, advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by
Chapel Cunningham and scored on a wild pitch. Another error two batters later allowed the second run to cross with a Wasserstrom single and
Erica Stahl double advancing the Fire lead to 3-0. Another wild pitch pushed the Fire lead to four before concluding the fifth.
In the bottom of the fifth, two errors on one play by the Fire allowed a single to turn into a run but five more strikeouts by Sekinger in the final three frames gave her team the 4-1 victory.
Cunningham and Stahl each concluded game two with two hits.
The Fire will next take on receiving votes Texas A&M-Texarkana at 9 a.m. and No. 20 ranked Campbellsville at 11:15 a.m. tomorrow.
