LAKELAND, Fla.- Southeastern softball completed their fourth Sun Conference sweep of the season today after two lopsided wins over Florida Memorial by scores of 8-0 and 10-5.
Autumn Hunter (11-4) was untouchable in game two of the series, tossing a no-hitter in the five-inning 8-0 run rule. The junior needed just 61 pitches to complete the no-hitter.
Southeastern (29-12, 17-4 SUN) capitalized on five Lions' errors to take the win, four of which came in the first inning handing the Fire a 4-0 lead after one trip to the plate.
After Hunter retired the first six straight, the Fire added two more to their run total in the second inning after
Lauren Sekinger drew a leadoff walk and advanced to third on a
Chapel Cunningham bunt single. An
Erica Stahl single then scored Sekinger while
Haleigh Harrell later scored
Jamie Mead on a sacrifice fly to move the Fire lead to six.
In the bottom of the fourth, Cunningham led off the inning with a single, stole her conference leading 30
th base of the season, and scored on a Mead single up the middle. Stahl followed with an RBI groundout to put the Fire in run-rule position.
Hunter then tossed another three-up three-down inning in the top of the fifth to secure the run-rule.
Game two saw
Kenzie Forrester (4-4) toss her fourth complete game of the season, allowing five earned runs on 10 hits for her second win of the series.
The Lions struck first in game three with four hits in the top of the first including a two-run double and sacrifice fly to take a 3-0 lead.
Leah Gonzalez cut the deficit to two in the bottom half of the frame after scoring Cunningham on a double to left field after she reached on a leadoff single.
The 3-1 Lions lead held until the bottom of the fourth inning after
Danielle Wasserstrom worked a walk after being down 0-2.
Alex Hilton executed a sacrifice bunt to move her to second while a Cunningham bunt single moved her a base away. A throwing error on the next batter then allowed Wasserstrom to score.
The next batter, Stahl gave her team the 4-3 lead with a two-run single to center field.
A Harrell single to right center scored Mead and Stahl to advance the Fire lead to 6-3.
Later in the inning,
Madi McDaniel baited the throw from the catcher on a stolen base after pinch running, opening the door for Harrell to beat the throw home for a 7-3 lead.
A two-run home run by the Lions in the top of the sixth brought them within two.
Five hits by the Fire in the bottom of the sixth added three more to their run total as Harrell picked up another RBI with a double into left and McDaniel tallied an RBI with a sacrifice fly.
Kaitlyn Quillen then earned a pinch hit, RBI single to score Harrell for the 10-5 Fire lead.
The Lions managed two base runners with two outs in the top of the seventh but a fly out ended the contest.
Stahl and Harrell both ended game two 3-4 with two runs scored and a combined five RBI's.
No. 16 Southeastern will have a quick turnaround as they host No. 11 Georgia Gwinnett for a doubleheader on Monday at 2 & 4 p.m.
