Box Score LAKELAND, Fla.- The Fire baseball team ended a rough series with Northwood with an 8-7 comeback win in 10 innings following a 12-5 loss in the first game of the day.
The finale of the three game series saw both teams score three runs in the third on a three-run double by Luis Diaz. The Seahawks answered with a run in the top of the fifth, but the Fire were able to respond with an RBI single by Stetson McCollin.
Northwood took a 5-4 lead in the top of the ninth when Hunter Simpson tried to pick off Tyler Hitt at third base, but the throw was off the mark, allowing Hitt to score. In the Fire half of the ninth, two quick outs led to a Cody Hoffner pinch-hit solo home run over the right-center field fence to tie the game at five, and force extras.
A 2-run homer by Ryan Palenzuela in the top of the 10th gave the Seahawks the lead back. After Luis Diaz was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning, Willi Martin drove a 2-2 pitch over the left field wall to knot the game at seven. Corbin Weeks drew a pinch-hit walk, and was advanced to second on a bunt by Sean Anderson. Then, McCollin drove in the game-winning run with a single up the middle to score Patrick Kinney, who pinch ran for Weeks.
Sophomore Josh Egert earned his first win of the season, working .2 innings in relief. Clay Rideout was the starter for the Fire and went five innings with five strikeouts and allowed four runs. Despite striking out 12 SEU hitters, Northwood's Alan Carey did not factor in the decision, allowing four runs over six innings of work.
In the first game of the day, the Seahawks grabbed a 2-0 lead in the top of the second with a pair of RBI singles. A double by McCollin in the bottom of the second scored Sean Anderson who hit a one-out single to center to make it 2-1 Northwood.
The Seahawks went on to add two runs in the top of the fourth, then broke the game open with s runs in the fifth on four hits and two Southeastern errors to take a 10-1 lead. A solo home run by Keivan Berges to lead off the top of the sixth made it 11-1 in favor of the visitors, but the Fire scraped across a run on an RBI single by Hoffner in the bottom of the sixth.
F.T. Corso came on to pitch in the seventh, and went on to work three innings, allowing just one run on four hits, and struck out three.
In the bottom of the ninth, Weeks hit a 3-run home run to left center to close out the game.
McCollin finished the day 3-for-7 with a run scored and two RBIs. Anderson was 3-for-8 with two runs scored, and Aaron Sheaks was 3-for-8 with a run scored.
The Fire are now 10-5 and 4-2 in The Sun Conference. They return to action on Tuesday with a doubleheader against Davenport University to start at 4 p.m.
