LAKELAND, Fla.—The Southeastern baseball team had its eight-game win streak come to a halt on Friday with a doubleheader loss to #25 Rio Grande by the scores of 6-5 and 12-6.
A two-out, two-run home run by the Red Storm in the top of the fourth gave them a 4-2 lead that was never relinquished. A two-out RBI single to right in the fifth made it 5-2, and the lead went to four on a sacrifice fly in the sixth.
In the bottom half of the inning,
Chris Mattison hit a three-run home run to right field to bring the Fire within a run.
In the bottom of the ninth, the Fire had runners at first and second with one out, thanks to a single by
Sean Anderson and a catcher's interference that put Mac LeBouef on base. A fly out and a strikeout looking ended the Fire threat.
Trent Downs earned his first win of the year, working 8.2 innings, allowing four earned runs on nine hits, striking out three and walking none.
Jordan Gard suffered the loss, allowing four earned runs on eight hits over six innings of work, which included four strikeouts and three walks.
In the second game, the Red Storm blew up for nine runs in the third to coast to victory. Rio needed just six hits and the benefit of an error for the big inning.
The Fire tried to chip away, getting a run in the fifth on a sacrifice fly by
Derek Martin, another in the sixth on an RBI groundout by
Trace Thornall, and three in the bottom of the eighth, thanks to a wild pitch, a sac fly by Thornall, and an RBI groundout by
Baziel Cabrera.
Mattison finished the game 3-for-3, picking up his second homer of the day in the bottom of the second to give the Fire a 1-0 lead. The junior scored three runs, and drove in another.
Brandon Goff fell to 1-2 with the loss, allowing nine earned on six hits over 2.2 innings of work.
In 18 total innings, the Rio pitching staff allowed just two walks, both coming late in Game 2.
The two teams return to action tomorrow for a doubleheader beginning at 11 a.m.
