Box Score LAKELAND, Fla.—Southeastern closed out its baseball regular season with a doubleheader win over Hiwassee College, winning game 1 2-1, then taking game 2 6-2.
Clay Rideout, in his final game at Broer Stadium, spun a gem, working five innings in which he allowed just one run on three hits. The senior struck out six, and coaxed seven groundouts.
The Fire picked up a run in the bottom of the second on an RBI single by Stetson McCollin to score Luis Diaz, who led off the inning with a double. The Lions tied the game in the top of the fourth, but the Fire answered in the bottom of the inning on an RBI single by Aldo Ferrante.
Brandon Goff closed out the final two innings, allowing just a single baserunner.
Hiwassee got on the board first in the second game on an RBI groundout. The Fire again were able to answer the Tiger score with a run in the next half inning when Josiel Colon scored on a sacrifice fly by Ricky DeArmas.
A solo home run by Dalton Harrelson in the top of the third put the Tigers on top 2-1. The Fire knotted the game at two in the bottom of the fourth on a fielder's choice by Sean Anderson, which scored Diaz.
Aaron Sheaks gave the Fire the lead in the bottom of the fifth on a solo homer to left, his second of the season, to put SEU up 3-2. They broke the game open with three runs in the bottom of the sixth with Daniel Acevedo leading off the inning with a pinch hit double. A double by McCollin scored Anderson, who ran for Acevedo. Willi Martin drove in the two additional runs on an RBI single.
Dylan Jameson closed the door in the seventh, working a scoreless 1-2-3 inning. The win went to senior Manny Matos, who worked two scoreless innings, allowing just one hit.
The Fire will next take the field for The Sun Conference Tournament beginning next Friday in Fort Meyers, Florida.
