CLEARWATER, Fla. – The Fire are back where they've been so often before. Southeastern University surged past Keiser University, 7-3, with six unanswered runs—five of them in the middle innings—to secure a spot in the Sun Conference Softball Championship Game for the fifth consecutive year.
Tied 1-1 in the bottom of the third, Raylei McKinney lifted a sacrifice fly to left field to give SEU the lead for good. Kassidy Moore followed with an RBI single to make it 3-1. The Fire broke the game open in the fourth when Leah Gonzalez started a stretch of four straight hits with an RBI single. McKinney followed with a double to drive in another run, and Hailey Brooks capped the rally with an RBI single, extending the lead to 6-1.
With the win, Southeastern (40-11) notched its 40th victory of the season, matching last year's total. The Fire also improved to 3-1 against Keiser (39-15) this season.
The championship game sets up a familiar showdown: a rematch with St. Thomas University, both from earlier Friday and last season's title game. St. Thomas evened the season series with an 8-0 win in five innings earlier in the day. Southeastern will need to defeat the Bobcats twice on Saturday to claim the crown. Game one is set for 12 p.m.
Edan Playa earned the win in the circle, improving to 18-4. The sophomore threw a complete game, allowing eight hits and three earned runs while striking out two.
Offensively, the Fire pounded out 16 hits across their two Friday contests. Ella Brooks went 3-for-6 with a run scored, and Hailey Brooks added a 3-for-5 effort with an RBI. McKinney starred at the plate, finishing with two doubles, a sac fly, one run scored, three RBI, and a stolen base.
Gonzalez contributed two singles, two runs, and two RBI. Chapel Cunningham added a single, three runs scored, and a stolen base, while Moore and Lauren Sekinger each added two hits across the day. Hailey Bradley also chipped in with a single.
Game 1 Recap – St. Thomas 8, SEU 0 (5 innings)
SEU was limited to just three hits as St. Thomas scored in every inning it batted. The Bobcats opened with a two-run homer as part of a three-run first and added single runs in the second and third before plating three more in the fourth. SEU's best chance came in the fifth when Hailey Brooks and Moore hit consecutive singles, but a double play ended the threat.
Game 2 Recap – SEU 7, Keiser 3
Keiser scored first, but Southeastern responded with an RBI double from McKinney to tie the game. The Fire scored five more runs over the next two innings to take control. Keiser rallied for two in the fifth, but Gonzalez answered with an RBI single in the bottom half. Playa retired the Seahawks in order in the seventh to seal the win and a trip back to the title game.
