CLERMONT, Fla. -- No. 22-ranked Southeastern (Fla.) University improved to 7-3 on the year with two victories over Point Park University softball at The Spring Games in Clermont, Fla., on Saturday.
Point Park (0-2) was playing its season openers and the first two of a 10-game trip to Florida over the next week. Southeastern won the first game, 7-3, after fighting off an early deficit of 1-0. The Fire took advantage of six unearned runs to win the nightcap, 13-1.
Sophomore outfielder Maddie Horn highlighted the opening game going 4 for 4 for the Pioneers. She doubled, tripled and scored two of the three runs. Courtney Blocher was 1 for 2 with two sacrifice bunts and an RBI. Amber Cook was 1 for 3 with a double, and Shannon Davis had the other RBI.
Point Park had late fight scoring single runs in the sixth and seventh innings to try to get back into it. First, the Pioneers cut the score to 5-2 in the sixth, which was set up by Cook's lead-off double. In the seventh, Horn doubled and scored on Blocher's base hit.
Ashley Iagnemma pitched the first 5.0 innings for Point Park. She racked up seven strikeouts against just one walk. Iagnemma gave up six hits and five runs, although only two of those runs were earned. Tiffany Edwards pitched the sixth giving up two runs (one earned).
The second game had Southeastern break the game open in the middle innings, albeit with some help from Point Park errors. A 0-0 game entering the fourth inning had the Fire strike for four runs in the top half with the Pioneers having three errors in the frame. The next inning, a big, two-run double with two outs by Bailee Moll padded the lead to 6-0.
Point Park was held to three hits in the game. Fire starter Ashley Apell blanked the Pioneers on one hit over her 5.0 innings. She struck out five and walked three. Two of Point Park's hits came in the sixth inning off of reliever Dayna McDonald. Carissa Scekeres stroked an infield hit, stole second and came home on Edwards' RBI hit.
Katie Tarr pitched 5.0 inning as the Point Park starter. Three of the six runs she gave up were earned, and she gave up seven hits. There were eight strikeouts on her line compared to two walks. Freshman Courtney Shoemake had her college debut pitching the sixth inning.
Point Park's next games are Sunday versus Ave Maria (Fla.) for a doubleheader at 1 p.m. All contests of The Spring Games will be live streamed by FloSoftball. Sign up to watch live. Sunday's games will have live stats courtesy of Ave Maria.
