Box Score LAKELAND, FLA.– In the first conference series of the season, the Fire decided to pull out the brooms in a three-game sweep of the Florida Memorial University Lions. The Fire won game one by a score of 10-4 and game two by a score of 13-4.
It didn't take long for Southeastern (9-2, 3-0 TSC) to set the tone for the afternoon. In the first inning, the bats struck for three runs off of Lions (2-5, 0-3 TSC) pitcher Mike Hardison, who would end up giving up nine runs before his day was done. Ricky DeArmas recorded a 2-RBI double in that inning en route to a 1-3 day with 3 RBIs, and a run scored.
There was no one swinging a hotter bat than T.J. Glessner this afternoon. He finished with a stellar four-hit game, and was all over the place. Not only did he record four hits, but he scored two runs, had an RBI, and stole a base. Stetson McCollin, the usual leadoff man who was moved down to the 7-hole to take some pressure off, responded positively at the plate, going 2-4.
Clay Rideout started the game on the mound for the Fire. A six-pitch first inning looked like he was going to cruise through the game, but control problems limited his effectiveness. Six walks and 87 pitches through 4 innings was all he could muster until Chase Hunt (1-0) came in and pitched three innings of excellent relief. In that time, he gave up one hit and struck out one. F.T. Corso closed out the last two innings of the game, giving up two runs, two hits, two walks, and striking out two.
Four FMU errors helped the Fire's cause, as innings were extended and the bullpen was taxed. The lack of depth in the Lion bullpen showed in game two.
Game two started out shaky for the Fire. Jordan Gard (1-0) gave up two runs in the first inning and another run in the second before calming down; after that, he threw up goose eggs in his last four frames to qualify for a quality start.
After giving up the first three runs of the ballgame, the Fire emphatically answered with nine unanswered runs of their own. Five of those runs came in the bottom of the second inning. An injury to Lions' starting pitcher Luis Suarez limited his start to only an inning. It was a bullpen-by-committee for the rest of the game, and the Fire made them pay. DeArmas and Aaron Sheaks started off the inning with singles before Ty Cherry was hit by a pitch to load the bases with one out. An infield single by Aldo Ferrante plated a run before Josiel Colon cleared the bases with a triple that was smashed to the center field wall. An RBI groundout by Glessner gave the Fire their fifth run of the inning, which would prove to be all they would need.
SEU put another three runs on the board in the bottom of the fourth. Colon reached on a base-hit bunt with one out before Glessner singled. Cody Hoffner moved Colon to third via sacrifice fly and Willi Martin knocked him in with a RBI double. Luis Diaz followed with a 2 RBI triple of his own to make it a 8-3 game after four innings of play. The Fire struck for four more in the bottom of the eighth which was highlighted by a two RBI single off the bat of Sean Anderson.
Colon finished the contest going 3-4 with four RBI, two runs scored and a stolen base. Martin finished 3-4 as well with two RBI and two runs scored.
Brandon Goff pitched the seventh and eighth innings for the Fire, giving up one run. Hoffner made his first pitching appearance of the season in the ninth to close out the game, and he recorded a walk and a strikeout.
Southeastern is back in action Monday afternoon when they host NCAA DIII opponent Brandeis University. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m.
