LAKELAND, Fla.—The Fire softball team swept Webber International during Saturday’s Sun Conference twin bill to complete a three-game series, and improve to 7-2 in league play.
SEU picked up an 8-0 win in five innings and eked out a 3-2 win in the second game.
Freshman pitcher Stef Guercio tossed the third no-hitter in program history, going five shutout innings with five strikeouts and four walks in the first game. Guercio needed just 76 pitches to complete the feat.
Southeastern was the benefactor of four Warrior errors, resulting in six unearned runs scored by the Fire. It started in the first inning when Taylor Stoltz headed for third after a groundout by Cheyenne Blaha and the throw to third went wide, allowing Stoltz to score.
Another freshman helped out on the offensive side of things when Kiah Ferrell hit a line drive home run over the left-field wall to cap off a six-run second inning. Cat Maldonado picked up an RBI double, Stoltz an RBI single, and Blaha picked up a sacrifice fly in the inning.
In the bottom of the fourth, Blaha drove in Sydnie Malloy with a two-out RBI single to reach the run rule.
Stoltz finished the first game 2-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored.
Six different players registered a hit in the second game, with Stoltz and Blaha responsible for the only two extra base hits.
All three SEU runs scored in the bottom of the third, when Stoltz started the inning with her double down the left field line. With two on and one out, Ferrell singled through the right side to score Stoltz and Blaha to give the Fire a 2-0 lead. A throwing error allowed Sammy Jacobson to score and make it 3-0.
Webber answered back in the next half inning with a two-run, two-out single up the middle to bring it within a run.
The best chance for the Warriors to tie came in the top of the sixth when Victoria Atkinson led off the inning with a double to right-center field. Guercio was called on to finish the game in relief of Lindsie Scholwinski and picked up her first career save, allowing one hit and striking out three over two innings of work.
Scholwinski picked up her 12th win of the year, going five innings and allowing two runs on five hits. The senior struck out four and walked three.
The Fire return to action on Tuesday for a doubleheader against No. 3 Columbia College (Mo.) at 2:30 p.m.
