Long Ball Lifts Southeastern Softball to Win Over Thomas

LAKELAND, Fla. — Efficiency was the name of the game for Southeastern in a 10-1 win over No. 14 Thomas on Friday.
The Fire (32-11, 10-3 TSC) used 12 hits, including five home runs to score their 10 runs with Alex Millett’s first career homer in the bottom of the fifth ending the game by run rule.
Kiah Ferrell got the hit parade started with her second homer of the year to lead off the bottom of the second, then was followed by Cat Maldonado’s third homer of the year over the center field wall to give the Fire a 3-0 lead.
That was all Lindsie Scholwinski needed for her 15th win of the season. The senior was stellar, striking out four batters over five innings on 81 pitches. The Night Hawks scored one run on seven hits against Scholwinski, who improved to 7-2 in conference play with a 1.61 ERA.
After the Night Hawks (28-10) scratched across a run with two-outs in the fourth, the Fire answered back with a sacrifice fly by Millett to score Brandee Pietrzak, who singled to lead off the inning to give SEU a 4-1 lead.
Heather Faulk got the final inning started with a triple over the left fielder’s head, and scored on Sam Holcomb’s sixth double of the year. Cheyenne Blaha then launched her fifth homer of the season over the left field fence to make it 7-1.
With one out, Pietrzak blasted her third home run of the year to center.
After Sydnie Malloy reached on an error, Millett came in and finished the game, sending a 2-1 pitch over the center field wall.
Pietrzak finished the day 3-for-3 with three runs scored. Faulk and Holcomb each went 2-for-2 with a run.
The two teams will face off again on Saturday for a doubleheader, starting at noon. In between games, the Fire will honor their senior players.