Fire Have Historic Day at the Plate in Sweep of Sand Sharks

HARDEEVILLE, S.C.- In the Southeastern University baseball team's last five meetings with USCB, SEU had plated 36 runs. The top-ranked Fire plated 43 runs versus the Sand Sharks on Saturday afternoon, defeating USCB 12-2 in game one of a doubleheader before setting a new program record for runs scored in an astounding 31-0 victory.

GAME ONE:

The Fire capitalized on miscues by the Sand Sharks to jump out to an early commanding lead. SEU scored eight runs in the top of the second on just two hits, three walks, two passed balls, two hit by pitches, and an error. A three-run home run by Ivan Nunez, his team-best fourth of the season highlighted the frame and gave the Fire an 8-0 lead.

USCB scored its only two runs of the day in the bottom of the third.

The Fire tacked on two more in the top of the fourth thanks to RBI singles by Nunez and Dominic Anagnos. An RBI triple by Manuel Mesa in the top of the seventh capped off the scoring in game one for SEU.

Junior right-handed pitcher Keven Long found an excellent rhythm down the stretch for the Fire, retiring 12 of the last 13 Sand Sharks he faced. Long struck out three through six innings of work, improving to 2-0 on the season.

GAME TWO:

The Fire crossed home in every inning of the second game of the doubleheader, scoring 31 runs on 27 hits. 12 of the 13 position players who registered at-bats for SEU got on base, with all 12 of those individuals scoring or driving in a run.

After a scoring four in the top of the first, SEU plated its first of two eight-run innings in the contest in the top of the second. Junior outfielder Abdel Guadalupe belted a three-run homer in the big inning.

Southeastern had its second eight-run frame of the game in the top of the fourth. Both junior outfielder Mike Taylor Jr. and senior outfielder Dan Valerio launched three-run homers in the inning. The Fire held a 21-0 advantage through just four innings of play.

Nunez pushed his RBI total on the day to eight with an RBI single in the top of the seventh that scored Thomas Delfel. Nunez was 8-10 at the plate on the day.
The Fire crossed five more in the final frame to punctuate the outlandish day at the plate.

Junior right-handed pitcher Jayden Hartle was outstanding on the mound for SEU, tossing six innings of one-hit baseball and striking out three. Hartle did not surrender a base hit till the bottom of the fifth and forced USCB batters to hit into eight ground outs in his first win in an SEU uniform.

DINKEL'S DUGOUT:

"We have showed signs throughout the year of an offense that could do major damage. It clicked today. It was good to see us finally put all the phases of the game together. Hopefully we continue to build on this and trend in the right direction in each of these phases. Jayden Hartle was outstanding today, getting quick outs and allowing our offense to stay in rhythm," – Adrian Dinkel Southeastern Baseball Head Coach.