CLEARWATER, Fla. — Southeastern relied on a steady presence in the circle and disciplined execution at the plate to secure a 4-0 win over St. Thomas on Wednesday in the second round of the Sun Conference Tournament. With the victory, the top-seeded Fire advance to Friday's semifinal round at 2 p.m.
The tone of the game was set early by
Edan Playa, who delivered one of her fourth shutout of the season. The left-hander worked all seven innings, allowing five hits while striking out eight and walking none. Playa faced pressure in just a few spots — most notably in the sixth when St. Thomas loaded the bases — but she responded by inducing a fielder's choice and closing the inning without damage, preserving the shutout.
Offensively, Southeastern showed patience early before breaking through in the fourth inning.
Hailey Bradley reached on an error to open the frame, and
Raylei McKinney followed with a single to immediately create traffic. After a well-placed sacrifice bunt by
Erica Ramsey moved both runners into scoring position, the Fire capitalized on a pair of St. Thomas mistakes. McKinney came home on a catcher error, and Bradley later scored on a wild pitch, giving Southeastern a 2-0 lead without the benefit of a hit in the inning's scoring sequence.
While the runs came via miscues, the pressure was consistent. Southeastern stayed aggressive on the bases, with stolen bases from Brooks, Bradley, and McKinney forcing St. Thomas to defend constantly and limiting its ability to settle in.
The Fire added insurance in the sixth with a more conventional rally.
Ella Brooks led off with a single and advanced into scoring position with a steal. Bradley dropped down a bunt single, and after both runners moved up, Ramsey delivered a sacrifice fly to bring home Brooks. Moments later, Sekinger matched it with another sac fly, scoring Bradley and extending the lead to 4-0.
Defensively, Southeastern was clean throughout, playing error-free behind Playa and turning in a key double play in the opening inning to erase an early St. Thomas opportunity.
McKinney led the Fire with two hits, while Bradley scored twice and Brooks set the tone at the top of the lineup with her ability to get on and create movement. Though Southeastern finished with just five hits, it maximized each opportunity, pairing timely execution with dominant pitching.
Southeastern (42-5) will now face the winner of Keiser and Coastal Georgia in Friday's semifinal as it continues its run through the Sun Conference Tournament.
