By TYLER HENRY
Lead Sportswriter - Salina Post
In a doubleheader that could very well decide a league title, the Southeast of Saline softball team dominated Minneapolis on Tuesday, handing the Lady Lions their first two losses of 9-1 and 12-2 in a clean road sweep.
Game One: SE of Saline 9, Minneapolis 1
The first game of this two-game set was ruled by Karlee Zurfluh in the circle, as the Lady Trojan ace cut down batter after batter in a dominant effort.
By the game's end, Zurfluh would allow just one run on one hit, recording twelve strikeouts in a complete-game effort.
SES got on the board first with two runs in the top of the opening frame, but Minneapolis quickly answered with a pair of their own in the home half.
The Lady Trojans would score the games remaining seven runs, including four in the second, one in the sixth and two more in the seventh.
At the plate, Kyiah Samuelson stole the show, driving in three runs on two big hits for SES.
Game Two: SE of Saline 12, Minneapolis 2
The nightcap saw more of the same with the Lady Trojans jumping out to a big 5-0 lead in the second, extending that advantage to 12-0 with a seven-run fourth.
The Lady Lions battled back with a pair in the fifth, but the damage was done as Southeast cruised to a mercy-shortened 12-2 win.
This time around, Southeast shared the love at the plate, with four different Lady Trojans recording multi-hit games, and four more driving in at least two runs.
Karlee Dye picked up right where Zurfluh left off in the circle, allowing just two runs on four hits, striking out three and failing to issue even one walk.
The Lady Trojans terrorized Minneapolis on the basepaths, with Reese Heinrich and Kyiah Samuelson swiping a total of ten bags in two games.
With this result, SES improves to 13-3 on the year and 6-0 in league play, while the now 12-2 Lady Lions fall to 10-2 in the NCAA.
Southeast holds serve in the league with doubleheaders against Ellsworth (6-10), Lyons (4-12), and Beloit (7-6) still to play.