Late Game Hitting Ignites Fire Sweep

LAKELAND, Fla. – A walk-off by Kristin Mihalic in game one and a towering home run by Brianna Perez in game two pushed Southeastern to victory over Coastal Georgia. Today’s sweep marks the first time this season that the Fire have recorded consecutive doubleheader sweeps over conference opponents.
Coming off of a lockdown performance against Keiser University, Hannah Bodenhorn picked up right where she left off. The junior transfer dealt seven scoreless innings for the Fire surrendering one hit while striking out nine hitters in the process.
The Fire’s offense got out to a slow start in game one as Coastal Georgia’s Paige Alt held Southeastern scoreless till the seventh. Alt had a great deal of success with her drop ball generating 12 ground ball outs.
However, with two outs in the seventh inning the Fire would crack Alt’s code. Perez and Heather Faulk managed to both work walks. Haleigh Harrell was intentionally walked to load the bases. Down to her final strike, Mihalic took the 2-2 pitch from Alt and lifted it into shallow right-centerfield allowing Perez to score the game-winning run.
Besides the game-winning hit by Mihalic, the Fire’s only other hit of the game came in the third inning off of the bat of Harrell. Southeastern left a total of five runners on base and did not move a runner to third until the seventh inning.
In game two the Fire’s offense was able to answer each run the Mariners scored in the following inning.
Coastal Georgia jumped out to an early 1-0 in the second inning, but the Fire would answer right back after a single by Harrell and a throwing error by the Coastal Georgia shortstop which allowed Britt Robinson to score from second.
Down one run entering the bottom of the fourth, Perez stepped into the batter’s box with one runner on board and one out in the inning. On the 1-2 pitch, Perez’s first career home run could not come at a better time. The senior’s two-run home run allowed the Fire to regain a 3-2 lead.
The Mariners fought back in the fifth as they managed to tie the game at 3-3, but a pair of RBI sacrifice-flies by Sam Holcomb and Mihalic in both the 5th and 6th innings broke the deadlock.
Coastal Georgia managed to move the tying run into scoring position in the seventh inning, however, Ashley Appell collected her 99th strikeout of the season to end the game.
The Fire will be back in action on Saturday when they take on the University of South Carolina Beaufort. First pitches are scheduled for 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.