LAKELAND, Fla. – The Fire were not going to let this one get away. Katie Short raced home with the game-winning run as Southeastern University took the series finale, 4-3, over the College of Coastal Georgia Saturday afternoon.
After the Mariners tied the contest with three runs in the top of the seventh, the Fire loaded the bases with one out. Lauren Sekinger then reached on a fielder's choice as Coastal Georgia secured the force out at home on Ella Brooks. Kassidy Moore then took advantage of a fielding miscue and Short scored to touch off the SEU celebration.
Maria Zelenka gave up only four hits in the first six innings in the circle. She finished with 6.2 innings of work, allowing seven hits and two earned runs while striking out four. Edan Playa finished the seventh to earn the win in relief.
Brooks was the catalyst for the SEU offense all day, as she went 3-for-4 with two runs and three stolen bases. Moore recorded the only extra-base hit with a double while adding a run scored. Leah Gonzalez was 1-for-2 with a sacrifice fly and two RBI. Zelenka had an RBI single and Rylei McKinney singled and stole a base. Rounding out the offense, Erica Ramsey, Sekinger, and Hailey Bradley chipped in one single apiece.
SEU scored single runs in the first, third, and sixth innings, taking a 3-0 lead into the seventh, However, the Mariners tied the game on a two-run homer and a defensive miscue to set up the heroics for the Fire in the bottom half of the inning.
With the win, SEU improves to 22-5 (4-2 SUN) and salvaged the final game of the three-game Sun Conference series. Coastal Georgia dropped to 20-8 (5-4 SUN).
SEU has the next two days off before it travels to West Palm Beach for its next league series starting on Tuesday afternoon in a 3 p.m. first pitch against Keiser University. The two teams will play a single game on Tuesday before facing the Seahawks in a doubleheader on Wednesday.
