LAKELAND, Fla. -- No. 19 Southeastern split Monday's home doubleheader against Mobile at the SEU Softball Field, dropping a narrow 2–1 decision in the opener before bouncing back with a 5–0 shutout in game two. The twin bill highlighted both the Fire's ability to execute in tight games and their resilience in responding to adversity.
Game one unfolded as a pitcher's duel from the start. SEU starter
Maria Zelenka and Mobile's Avery Harrell matched each other through the early innings, working quickly and limiting quality contact. Zelenka navigated traffic in both the first and second innings, stranding multiple runners and preventing the Rams from turning early hits into runs.
Behind her, Southeastern's defense played steady, and the Fire began to find some rhythm at the plate the second time through the order.
Abby Franey provided an early spark with a double in the second inning, but Mobile escaped the frame to keep the game scoreless. For much of the contest, both teams relied on situational execution rather than big innings.
SEU broke through in the bottom of the fourth.
Lauren Sekinger led off with a double to center.
Raylei McKinney followed with a sacrifice bunt to move her to third, and Zelenka helped her own cause by lifting a sacrifice fly to right that brought Sekinger home for a 1–0 lead.
Zelenka continued to control the circle into the late innings, working around scattered hits in the fifth and sixth to maintain the one-run edge.
Ella Brooks added a single and a stolen base in the fifth as SEU looked for insurance, but the Fire could not extend the lead.
Mobile made its move in the seventh. A leadoff double put the tying run in scoring position, and consecutive singles allowed the Rams to level the score at 1–1. Later in the inning, Mobile capitalized on a fielding miscue in left to plate the go-ahead run.
Edan Playa entered in relief and recorded the final out, but the damage had been done.
Southeastern had one last chance in the bottom half but could not rally against reliever Katelynn Kempton, who secured the 2–1 win for Mobile. Sekinger led the offense with two hits and scored the lone run, while Zelenka struck out eight over 6.2 innings and allowed just one earned run in a strong outing.
The Fire quickly reset for game two and responded with urgency.
SEU took control of the nightcap in the first inning, scoring three times to seize early momentum. Brooks jumpstarted the rally with a double to left, and
Hailey Bradley followed with a single that put runners on the corners. Sekinger continued her productive day with an RBI single down the right-field line to open the scoring.
The pressure continued as
Ava Planeta delivered a sacrifice fly to score Bradley, and Franey added an RBI single through the right side to bring home Sekinger for a 3–0 lead. The early outburst provided a comfortable cushion and changed the tone after the tight opener.
That support was more than enough for Playa, who turned in a dominant performance in the circle. The left-hander controlled the game from start to finish, allowing just one hit and one walk over seven shutout innings. She struck out five, consistently worked ahead in counts, and induced weak contact throughout. Mobile rarely threatened, and the SEU defense converted chances cleanly behind her.
Offensively, the Fire continued to apply pressure. Sekinger served as a catalyst in the middle of the lineup, collecting three hits in the second game and reaching base repeatedly across the day. Southeastern forced Mobile's pitchers to work and kept traffic on the bases even in scoreless frames.
SEU added insurance in the sixth. A Mobile error allowed Bradley to reach, and Sekinger followed with another single. McKinney then delivered a hit to right-center to load the bases. A wild pitch brought in a run, and Planeta added an RBI single to stretch the margin to 5–0.
With the lead in hand, Playa closed the door in the seventh by retiring the side in order to complete the shutout. The win marked her fourth of the season.
The split moved Southeastern to 7–1 as the Fire now turn their attention to their next outing on Friday, February 20, against Faulkner at 4 p.m. EST at a neutral site in Hattiesburg, Miss.
