Box Score FORT MYERS, Fla.—The Fire bats exploded for 11 runs on 14 hits, helping Southeastern move on to Monday's Sun Conference Tournament Finals with an 11-1 win over USC Beaufort in an elimination game.
Southeastern (38-18) got off to a fast start, touching up Sand Shark starting pitcher Kutler Lane for three runs, starting with an RBI double by Willi Martin to bring in Aaron Sheaks, who singled up the middle. Cody Hoffner followed with an RBI single. Luis Diaz took the next pitch down the left field line for a double to score Hoffner.
The Fire wouldn't need much more than that as starting pitcher Brandon Goff scattered six hits and a single run over seven innings of work. The sophomore from Melbourne, Florida struck out three and walked one of the 29 batters he faced on 85 pitches.
South Carolina Beaufort (33-21) got its only run in the second on a bases loaded hit by pitch with two outs.
In the third, the Fire broke the game open with a six-run outburst to put the game away. Martin hit his third home run of the tournament, breaking the tournament record by a single player. Hoffner followed suit to make it 6-1. Connor Oliveri brought in a pair of runs with a double down the left field line, then an RBI single up the middle by T.J. Glessner gave the Fire a nine-run advantage.
Martin wasn't quite done yet, leading off the fourth with a home run to left center to make it 10-1. The senior from Tampa became the first player in tournament history to hit multiple home runs in a single game.
Stetson McCollin's RBI single to center field in the seventh gave the Fire their final run of the day.
Chase Hunt and Mike Ruppenthal each worked a scoreless inning in relief, each allowing one base runner on a walk.
The win was head coach Jason Beck's 450th at Southeastern.
Southeastern moves on to play St. Thomas at 11 a.m. tomorrow, needing two wins to clinch its second consecutive tournament championship.
