LAKELAND, FLA.--The Fire have done all that they can to warm up for their ever-important Sun Conference series against #2 St. Thomas this weekend. Southeastern split their daytime doubleheader this afternoon, first losing to the University of St. Francis, then bouncing back with a walk-off win over Spring Arbor.
The first game was an absolute slugfest; there were a combined 25 runs and 31 hits between the two teams as the Fighting Saints edged out the Fire by a score of 13-12. Southeastern had no trouble tagging St. Francis starter Kevin Mampe for five early runs, but the Fire bullpen proved to be ineffective.
Mike D'Acunti continued his red-hot hitting streak as the catcher hit a pair of home runs in his second straight game. His four homers in the last two games gives him a total of eight for the season. A 3-run shot over the left-center field monster evened the game at three in the bottom of the first.
Cole Yoder was pushed around by the St. Francis offense, as the lefty could only go 3.2 innings before being pulled after giving up seven runs (six earned).
Ryder Albright pitched 2.1 innings of solid relief, allowing only one run.
The Fire were trailing 8-3 until the bottom of the fifth, until the offense struck back with three in the fifth and three more in the sixth to take a 9-8 lead. The rallies were induced by a 2-run
Derek Martin single in the fifth and a go-ahead two-run homer by
Luis Diaz after a nine-pitch at bat.
Southeastern was holding that 9-8 lead until
Dylan Jameson and the Fire defense gave the lead back to St. Francis. Jameson went two innings and gave up four runs, but only one of them was earned. The Fighting Saints held a 13-9 lead going to the bottom of the ninth.
D'Acunti's second homer of the game made it 13-10. Martin and
Hunter Bonner reached before
Danny Acevedo drove in Martin to make the game 13-11. Guzman reached on an infield hit and drove in Bonner to make it 13-12. After Diaz walked, the bases were loaded with two outs. But the Fighting Saints wound up getting pinch hitter
Josiel Colon via strikeout to end the Southeasten rally and escape with the victory.
Diaz finished 3-4 with three runs scored, a homer, and two RBI. Martin was 4-5 with a run scored and a pair of RBIs. Guzman finished 2-5 with a run scored and two RBI.
In game two, the Fire were facing another tough opponent in Spring Arbor. The Courgars took a 3-0 lead off of Southeastern starter
Mike Ruppenthal before tying it up in the bottom of the second after a bases loaded walk, a balk, and an RBI groundout.
Aaron Sheaks sent a towering ball over the left field fence for a 2-run homer, his first of the year in the bottom of the fourth to give Southeastern a 5-3 lead. The Fire tacked on an unearned run in the next inning after a wild throw which allowed Colon to score from third. Spring Arbor got two runs back in the seventh to make it a 6-5 game, and it looked like the Fire would hold them off.
Chris Mattison wound up blowing the save in the ninth, and the game was tied 6-6 going to the bottom of the ninth.
D'Acunti got things started by getting hit by a pitch, and was lifted for pinch runner
Trace Thornal. Mac LeBeouf bunted Thornal over to second, then advanced to third after a groundout by Colon. Pinch hitter
Zach Hessinger followed by ripping a single to right-center field to drive in Thornal as the Fire walked off, 7-6.
Mattison was credited with his first win of the year to improve to 1-1. Southeastern improved to 16-12 overall.
Sun Conference rival, #2 St. Thomas, comes to town on Friday for three-game weekend series at Southeastern. Friday's game is set to start at 6 p.m.
