Box Score LAKELAND, Fla.—The Fire started their weekend Sun Conference series against South Carolina Beaufort with a doubleheader split against the Sand Sharks. The first game went to the guests 5-3, then the Fire took game two 5-4.
USCB took a quick 4-0 lead after the second inning, touching up Fire starting pitcher Patrick Kinney for four runs on four hits and five walks in an inning and a third.
SEU got on the scoreboard with an RBI triple in the bottom of the second by Stetson McCollin, which scored Sean Anderson.
Brandon Goff worked 5.1 innings in relief, and limited the Sand Sharks, scattering seven hits, giving up just one run, and struck out two. The sophomore coaxed five groundouts in 21 at bats.
The Fire scored two runs in the bottom of the fifth on an RBI single by T.J. Glessner, and a Willi Martin RBI double. SEU was only able to muster two more hits the rest of the night.
Despite totaling 12 hits, Southeastern left nine base runners.
In game two, the Fire scored on an error in the first, then made it 2-0 in the second on a sacrifice fly by Hunter Bonner to score McCollin.
Starting pitcher Clay Rideout was outstanding, working 5.1 innings of shutout ball, allowing three hits and four walks. The senior struck out four, and recorded seven groundouts in 19 batters.
In the seventh, an RBI single by Glessner gave the Fire a 3-0 lead.
But, that's when the Sand Sharks got the offense going, scoring two in the top of the eighth off of Manny Matos, then tied the game in the ninth on a sacrifice fly.
In the SEU ninth, the Fire had the bases loaded with one out when Josiel Colon hit a sacrifice fly to right center field to score Glessner and give the Fire the win.
Senior Dylan Jameson picked up the win to move to 2-2 on the season after working 1.1 innings, giving up two unearned runs on two hits.
Glessner finished the day 5-for-8 with three runs scored and two driven in. Anderson finished the day 4-for-8.
The rubber match of the series is scheduled for Saturday at noon.
