WINTER HAVEN, Fla. -- Southeastern refused to let its season end Wednesday afternoon, battling back from an early deficit to defeat Faulkner 5-3 in the first game of the NAIA Softball Opening Round Lakeland Bracket Final at Diamond Plex. The victory forces an if-necessary game Thursday at noon with a trip to the NAIA World Series on the line.

Facing the challenge of defeating Faulkner twice after advancing through the elimination bracket earlier in the day, the Fire responded with one of their most complete offensive performances of the postseason, piling up 16 hits while Maria Zelenka tossed a complete game inside the circle.

Faulkner struck first in the opening inning when Addyson Jarman launched a two-run homer to center field following a leadoff single from Anna Catherine Segrest, giving the Eagles a quick 2-0 lead.

The Fire answered immediately in the second.

Lauren Sekinger started the rally with a single before Abby Franey delivered an RBI knock to left-center, bringing Southeastern within a run after Faulkner committed an error earlier in the inning.

An inning later, Hailey Bradley delivered a milestone moment.

Leading off the third inning, Bradley crushed the first home run of her career over the left-field fence to even the game at 2-2. The momentum continued moments later as Raylei McKinney singled and stole second before Nicole Wasserstrom executed a sacrifice bunt that plated the go-ahead run, giving Southeastern its first lead of the game at 3-2.

The Fire offense kept rolling in the fourth inning.

Ella Brooks opened the frame with a triple into the right-center gap, and McKinney followed with an RBI single to extend the lead. After Erica Ramsey added another hit, Wasserstrom came through again with an RBI single to center, pushing the advantage to 5-2.

Faulkner answered with a run in the bottom of the fourth on a sacrifice fly from Bailea Boone, trimming the deficit to 5-3, but Zelenka repeatedly worked out of trouble over the final three innings.

The Eagles threatened in both the fifth and seventh innings, recording multiple hits each time, but Southeastern's defense held firm. In the seventh, the Fire turned a game-ending double play after Madelyn Becker grounded into a shortstop-to-first twin killing, sealing the victory and extending Southeastern's season for at least one more game.

Zelenka improved to 17-3 after allowing three runs on 12 hits across seven innings while striking out five. The junior worked efficiently throughout the game, throwing 121 pitches in the complete-game effort.

Offensively, McKinney led the Fire with three hits and two runs scored, while Sekinger also collected three hits. Bradley finished 2-for-4 with her home run and a double, while Wasserstrom drove in two runs as part of Southeastern's 16-hit attack.

With the win, Southeastern improves to 47-8 overall and forces a winner-take-all championship game against Faulkner on Thursday at noon. The winner will advance to the NAIA World Series in Columbus, Georgia.