LAKELAND, Fla.—A line drive by
Chapel Cunningham off the third baseman's glove in the bottom of the ninth gave Southeastern its second walk off win in four games on Friday.
The Fire needed extra innings to knock off Freed-Hardeman 3-2 after dropping the first game 1-0.
Southeastern (3-1) stranded nine runners in the first contest, including two in scoring position in the first after Cunningham led off the game with a single to left and
Hailey Brooks reached on a bunt single.
Both starting pitchers threw well with
Autumn Hunter taking her first loss of the season despite allowing just one earned run on four hits with three strikeouts and one walk. Hunter retired 11 straight hitters until a one out single to left in the fifth but came back with a strikeout. She walked the next batter leading to an RBI single up the middle to give the Lions (2-2) the lead.
The Fire got runners to second and third in the fifth but a pair of groundouts to the left side kept the runners from scoring. In the bottom of the seventh, Southeastern loaded the bases with one out, but a fielder's choice to the shortstop cut down a runner at the plate and a ground ball to the pitcher ended the game.
Cunningham had two of the seven hits for the Fire in the first game.
In the second game, the Fire responded after a solo homer in the second by manufacturing a run in the third off a bunt single by Cunningham and
Ella Brooks scoring on a bad throw to first. Southeastern looked to take the lead for the first time in the bottom of the fourth with runners at second and third with one out but an infield popup and a groundout to short ended the inning.
Both teams scored in the eighth inning, using outs to score the tiebreaker runner from second. In the ninth,
Claire Sekinger came up with three big strikeouts to keep the runner from scoring. With two outs and runners at second and third, Cunningham came through with the single to win the game.
Sekinger earned her first win of the season, throwing 132 pitches over nine innings of work with eight strikeouts, no walks, and just one earned run on eight hits.
Cunningham,
Leah Gonzalez, and
Riley Sanders had two hits each.
The Fire will host Thomas on Saturday at 12 p.m.
