Box Score LAKELAND, FLA.– The Fire have now run their winning streak up to five, as they continued their winning ways Monday night. The Fire took both games from the Benedictine College Bulldogs, winning the first game 7-2, and the nightcap by a score of 5-4. With the wins, SEU improves to 15-6 with the season still young.
The Fire let the Bulldogs know what kind of game it was going to be in the first three innings. They scored four runs in the first, two in the second, and one in the third before the Bulldogs had a chance to answer with some offense of their own.
Stetson McCollin started the hitting party in the bottom of the first. He singled and Aaron Sheaks followed with a double to put two runners in scoring position with no outs. Cody Hoffner ripped a double down the left field line to score both runs and scored on another double by Ricky DeArmas. Luis Diaz drove in another run with a sacrifice fly to put the Fire ahead 4-0.
In the second inning, it was more of the same. This time, Aldo Ferrante got things started with a hit; Hunter Bonner courtesy-ran for Ferrante, stole a base, and scored on a single by Sheaks to make it 5-0. Willi Martin drove in Sheaks with an RBI single of his own to make it 6-0 Fire.
The Fire only scored one run in the third, but it was a loud one. On a 1-0 count, Diaz got the pitch he was looking for and took full advantage of it. The pitch was belted all the way to Victory Field, where the Fire football team plays, and hit the roof of the concession stand, good for his third home run of the year.
Clay Rideout (3-0) pitched four solid innings en route to his third win of the year. He gave up only three hits, one run, and struck out four. Hoffner, Chase Hunt, and Manny Matos pitched the final three innings to shut the door on the Bulldogs.
The second half of the doubleheader looked to be on its way to another easy Fire victory, but the Bulldogs had them sweating near the end. FT Corso, in his first start of the season, pitched well for the Fire; he went four solid innings, giving up two hits, no runs, and striking out six.
SEU plated an unearned run in the bottom of the first inning, thanks in part to some errant throws by the Bulldog defense. The Fire tacked on another run in the bottom of the fifth when TJ Glessner doubled and later scored on a sacrifice fly by Hoffner.
Dylan Jameson pitched a scoreless fifth inning for the Fire, but the walks came back to bite them in the sixth.
Hoffner started the top of the sixth inning on the mound and was promptly taken out after a couple walks and a hit. Closer Mike Ruppenthal (2-0) inherited a bases-loaded jam with one out and had some struggles of his own; but after walking in a run and allowing the go-ahead run, he escaped without any further damage.
For the first time all night, the Fire were playing from behind. Josiel Colon started the rally by reaching on an error, and moved to second on a single by McCollin. Both runners moved up a base on the play after the center fielder bobbled the ball. Diaz drove in a run with a base hit, and Oliveri reached on a walk. With Patrick Kinney running for Oliveri and Diaz standing on third, some heads-up baserunning took place. Kinney, normally a pitcher, attempted to steal second base way before the ball was thrown. The pitcher stepped off to nab Kinney at second and promptly threw it into center field, resulting in Diaz trotting home with the second run scored in the inning. The resulting miscues led to a triple off the bat of Glessner, easily scoring Kinney and giving the Fire all the runs they would need for the rest of the game.
Hunt came in to pitch the last inning. It was without a fair share of drama, though; Hunt plunked the first two Bulldog batters and intentionally walked another batter after a sacrifice bunt. With one out and the bases loaded, Hunt forced a sacrifice fly and struck out the last Bulldog hitter with a knee-buckling curveball to end the game and earn his first save of the year.
The Fire are back in action Tuesday afternoon as they'll host the Morningside Mustangs in a doubleheader. Game times are set for 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. at Broer Stadium.
