KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. — The Fire weren't ready to head home just yet.
Southeastern University's softball team battled through two must-win games Tuesday to stay alive in the NAIA Softball Opening Round, routing Arizona Christian 15-3 in five innings before following up with an 8-3 victory over the University of Jamestown.
The Fire's offense was dominant throughout the day, producing a combined 28 hits across both games.
In Game 1, SEU exploded for 10 runs in the third inning against Arizona Christian. After taking a 4-3 lead in the second, the Fire strung together seven hits in the third, including three consecutive doubles from Ella Brooks, Kassidy Moore, and Nicole Wasserstrom. That offensive surge pushed the score to 14-3, and SEU tacked on one more before closing the game via run rule in the fifth. Pitchers Edan Playa and Emma Vickers kept the Phoenix (27-26) scoreless over the final two innings.
In the second game, against Jamestown (36-17), SEU once again rallied from an early deficit. Down 2-0 in the third, Chapel Cunningham singled with two outs before Hailey Brooks launched a two-run homer to center to tie the game. The Fire took the lead for good in the fourth with a three-run burst, highlighted by doubles from Leah Gonzalez and Ella Brooks. SEU added insurance runs in the fifth and sixth to seal the 8-3 win.
Playa earned the win in both games, improving to 20-6 on the season. She pitched 10.2 total innings on the day, allowing just three earned runs and striking out seven. Vickers closed out the Arizona Christian win with a scoreless fifth inning.
The offensive charge was led by Hailey and Ella Brooks, who each went 5-for-6 on the day. Hailey was 3-for-3 in Game 1 and added a single and a home run in Game 2, finishing with four runs scored and five RBI. Ella had three hits in the opener, including a double, then added another double and single in Game 2, driving in four runs and scoring three times.
Cunningham and Wasserstrom each tallied four hits. Cunningham had two hits in each game, scored four runs, added an RBI, and stole a base. Wasserstrom went 3-for-3 with two RBI and a double against Arizona Christian and chipped in a double and a run scored against Jamestown.
Gonzalez and Lauren Sekinger added three hits apiece. Gonzalez scored twice and drove in two, while Sekinger delivered two RBI and scored twice. Moore added a double in each game and drove in two runs. Raylei McKinney contributed two singles, two runs scored, and an RBI.
Southeastern (42-10) now looks to replicate last year's Opening Round rally, which included two Day 2 wins to reach the final. Their postseason run continues Wednesday with a tough test against top-seeded host Oregon Tech. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m. EDT. A win would set up a rematch with Midland University immediately afterward at 7 p.m. EDT.
