LAKELAND, Fla. -- No. 4 Southeastern opened its weekend series in dominant fashion on Friday, shutting out No. 10 Keiser, 8-0, at the SEU Softball Field behind a complete team performance.
The Fire (38-4, 18-1 Sun) combined timely offense with a strong outing in the circle from
Maria Zelenka, who tossed a complete-game shutout, allowing just four hits while striking out five to improve to 15-2 on the season.
After a scoreless first two innings, Southeastern broke through in the third.
Abby Franey sparked the rally with a leadoff single, and two batters later,
Raylei McKinney delivered the big swing, launching a two-run home run to center field to give the Fire a 2-0 lead.
That early advantage was more than enough for Zelenka, who kept the Seahawks off balance throughout the afternoon. Keiser managed just four hits and only placed one runner into scoring position in the game.
Southeastern created separation in the fifth inning with its most explosive stretch of the game. The Fire strung together four consecutive hits, highlighted by an RBI double from McKinney before
Erica Ramsey broke the game open with a three-run home run to left-center. The five-run inning extended the lead to 6-0 and firmly put control in Southeastern's hands.
The Fire added two more runs in the sixth to close out the run-rule victory.
Nicole Wasserstrom led off the inning with a solo home run—the first of her career—and later, a Keiser error allowed another run to score, pushing the final margin to eight.
McKinney led the offensive effort, going 3-for-3 with a home run, double, and three RBIs, while Ramsey added a home run and three RBIs of her own. Wasserstrom also finished 2-for-3 with her milestone homer, and Franey contributed two hits. As a team, Southeastern tallied 12 hits and scored in three different innings.
Southeastern and Keiser will continue the series on Saturday with a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m., which will also serve as Senior Day for the Fire.
