Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 On a day where the Fire bats flourished at the plate, the No. 3 Southeastern University baseball team took both games of a doubleheader versus the No. 13 Keiser University Seahawks, both games decided by scores of 18-7.
On the day the Fire hit .450 at the plate (36-80) with 12 extra-base hits, including five home runs.
The 36 runs scored were the most plated by Southeastern in a Sun Conference doubleheader in program history.
Southeastern started things off in game one with a pair of RBI base hits by junior infielder
Ivan Nunez and junior utility man
Dan Valerio in the top of the first that put the Fire up 2-0.
An RBI single in the bottom of the second by junior catcher
Torrence Sumerlin scored
Adam De La Cruz. Junior infielder
Dominic Anagnos followed that up with his fourth home run of the season, a two-run shot that put the Fire up 5-0.
The Seahawks got on the board in the bottom of the second with a two-run homer to cut the Fire lead to 5-2.
SEU responded with a six-run inning in the top of the third. Valerio led off the frame with his 10
th home run of the season. An RBI single by Anagnos scored Luke Baxter to put Southeastern ahead 7-2.
Valerio was a perfect 5-5 at the plate in game one. On the day, the Tinton Falls N.J. native was 7-for-11 at the plate with seven runs batted in and two home runs.
Later in the inning, junior outfielder
Marvin Malone doubled down the right field line, scoring Anagnos and
Manuel Mesa. Junior first baseman
Nick Bottari capped off the big inning with his team leading 11
th home run of the season, a two-run shot to left field that put the Fire ahead 11-2.
The Fire tacked on four more in the top of the fifth thanks to RBIs from Valerio,
Keiner Colmenarez, De La Cruz, and Mesa.
A two-RBI double by Colmenarez capped off the scoring for SEU in the top of the sixth.
The Seahawks drove in one in the bottom of the sixth, as well as four in the bottom of the seventh. However, senior reliever
Adrian Rivera entered the final frame with one out, recording a pair of punch outs to quench any hopes of a Keiser comeback and preserve the SEU win.
Junior left-handed pitcher
Jonathan Bermudez improved to a perfect 10-0 on the season with his work in game one, tossing six frames, surrendering two earned runs, and striking out four.
The Fire were the first on the board once again in the second game of the doubleheader. An RBI groundout by junior utility player
Marcus Stump scored
Vince Volpatti in the top of the second to put SEU ahead 1-0. The Seahawks answered with a run in the bottom half of the frame to even things up 1-1.
Volpatti drove in a pair of runs in the top of the top of the third with a two-RBI single to center field that put Southeastern back in front 3-1.
The Seahawks mounted their most offensively productive inning in the bottom of the fifth, scoring three runs on three hits and two errors to take a 4-3 advantage over the Fire.
Southeastern responded in a powerful way, driving in seven runs in the top of the seventh. A grand slam home run by Valerio, his second of the season, highlighted the inning in which the Fire pulled back ahead of the Seahawks 10-4.
Keiser displayed power of its own in the bottom half of the frame, as junior outfielder Marco Rivera hit a three-run dinger that trimmed the Fire lead down to 10-7.
A bases-loaded double in the top of the eighth by Colmenarez cleared the bases and put SEU ahead 13-7. Colmenarez crossed the plate later in the inning on a throw.
The Fire padded on three more in the top of the ninth via a sac fly by Malone, an RBI single by
Jett Swetland, and a two-run homer by
Ivan Nunez.
Senior righty
Jordan Scott improved to 8-1 on the season, striking out 10 Keiser bats.
The Fire look to complete the sweep of the Seahawks tomorrow afternoon. First Pitch is set for 1:00 p.m.
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