Fire Blank Bobcats for First Sun Conference Sweep

Southeastern Turns in Complete Day on the Mound and at the Plate in Sun Conference Sweep Versus St. Thomas
LAKELAND, Fla.- For the first time this season, the Southeastern University softball team earned a doubleheader sweep in Sun Conference play. The Fire swept the St. Thomas University Bobcats, taking game one 5-0 before taking down STU 4-1 in the series finale. SEU improved to an even 4-4 in TSC play with the sweep.
GAME ONE
The Fire coupled timely hitting along with capitalizing on some Bobcats’ miscues to plate four runs on four hits and three STU errors in the bottom of the second inning.
Sophomore outfielder Lauren Watters crossed home on an error after leading off the frame with a single. Freshman infielder Kristen Schwartz also scored on a St. Thomas miscue, scoring on a throwing error on the second baseman after a single by graduate utility player Cheyenne Benson-Ross.
An RBI single by senior catcher Natalie Hughes drove home Benson-Ross to put SEU ahead 3-0. Hughes capped off the big inning, scoring on a fielder’s choice grounder to give the Fire a 4-0 advantage.
Senior right-handed pitcher Hannah Bodenhorn was dialed in throughout the contest for Southeastern, striking out five of the first seven Bobcats she faced. The Nashville, Tenn. native tossed a complete game shutout, allowing four hits, walking just one, and striking out nine to improve to 8-6 on the season.
An RBI double by Hannah Bonner in the bottom of the third drove in Benson-Ross to grow the SEU lead to 5-0.
GAME TWO
The Fire struck early in the second contest, as a fly ball off the bat of sophomore outfielder Haleigh Harrell was deep enough to score Bailee Moll on the sacrifice fly. SEU grew its lead to 2-0 in the bottom of the first, after Heather Faulk stole third and advanced home on a throwing error by the St. Thomas catcher.
Moll rocketed her NAIA-leading 16th double in the bottom of the second back to the left field wall to score Bonner and put the Fire ahead 3-0. Southeastern grew its lead to 4-0 in the bottom of the third after Schwartz singled home Samantha Holcomb.
Sophomore righty Ashley Appell settled into a rhythm for the Fire, retiring nine of the 10 Bobcats she faced from the top of the second through the top of the fifth. An unearned run allowed in the top of the sixth was the lone St. Thomas run produced against Appell on the day.
ROCKY TOP THOUGHTS
“I’m proud of what we did today. We capitalized on some mistakes by St. Thomas but we also scattered some runs across as well. Pitchers showed up for us and we took care of business at the plate and that’s the simplicity of what we’ve been working for all season long,” – Rocky Stinson, Southeastern Softball Head Coach.