LAKELAND, Fla. — No. 6 Southeastern delivered one of its most complete performances of the season on Wednesday, sweeping No. 11 St. Thomas in a doubleheader with 11–0 and 9–1 run-rule victories at the SEU Softball Field.
Facing one of the top teams in the Sun Conference, the Fire controlled the day from the outset, combining dominant pitching with a relentless offensive approach. Entering the matchup, St. Thomas had been run-ruled just twice since the start of the 2024 season, but SEU matched that total in a single afternoon—marking the first time the Bobcats have been run-ruled twice in the same day since March 17, 2021, at Ave Maria.
Game 1: Southeastern 11, St. Thomas 0 (5 innings)
Southeastern set the tone early in game one, jumping out to a 2–0 lead in the opening inning behind aggressive baserunning and timely hitting. The Fire added two more runs in the second before breaking the game open in the third inning.
With the bases loaded,
Raylei McKinney delivered the biggest swing of the opener—a grand slam to left-center field. The home run, her first grand slam of the season and second consecutive game with a homer, pushed the lead to 9–0 and effectively put the contest out of reach . Southeastern added two more runs in the fourth to secure the 11–0 run-rule victory.
In the circle,
Edan Playa was dominant, tossing a five-inning complete-game shutout while allowing just two hits and striking out four to improve to 11–1 on the season . The Fire offense backed her with 14 hits, led by
Ella Brooks' three-hit, three-run performance and McKinney's five RBIs.
Game 2: Southeastern 9, St. Thomas 1 (6 innings)
Game two followed a similar script.
Southeastern again struck quickly, with Brooks setting the table before McKinney launched a two-run home run in the first inning to give the Fire an early lead. The homer marked her third consecutive game with a long ball, making her the first Southeastern player to homer in three straight games since Cat Maldonado in 2016.
The Fire extended the advantage in the second inning, capitalizing on defensive miscues while adding another run on an RBI single from
Abby Franey to build a 5–0 lead. From there, Southeastern maintained steady pressure, adding three more runs in the fifth through a combination of situational execution and timely hitting.
Emma Vickers handled the pitching duties in game two, delivering a complete-game effort while allowing just one run on six hits and improving to 4–1 on the year . St. Thomas managed its only run of the day on a solo home run in the fifth, but the Fire quickly responded to keep the game out of reach.
Brooks paced the offense in the nightcap with a perfect 4-for-4 performance, while McKinney drove in two runs and continued her power surge.
Maria Zelenka added a pair of hits, and the Fire took advantage of six St. Thomas errors to maintain control throughout .
Across the doubleheader, Southeastern outscored St. Thomas 20–1 while tallying 23 hits and limiting the Bobcats to just eight combined hits . The Fire scored in nine of their 11 offensive innings on the day, showcasing both depth and consistency throughout the lineup.
With the sweep, Southeastern improved to 30–4 overall and 11–1 in Sun Conference play. SEU will have a brief break before returning to Sun Conference play next week. The Fire are set to host Warner for a three-game series beginning Thursday, April 2, with a doubleheader at 2 p.m., followed by a single game on Friday, April 3 at noon.
