THOMASVILLE, Ga.- The No. 4 Southeastern University baseball team put on an offensive clinic. The Fire hit 16 extra-base hits, including 10 home runs in a doubleheader sweep of the Thomas University Night Hawks. The Fire dominated 15-0 in game one before edging TU 13-12 in the series finale.
GAME ONE:
The offensive onslaught began early for the Fire, as junior infielder
Sam Faith followed up a bases-loaded walk with a grand slam home run to put the Fire ahead 5-0 in the top of the first. The grand slam was his first homer of the season.
Up 6-0 heading into the top of the fourth, SEU went on to score four runs on four solo home runs in the inning to put the Fire ahead of the Night Hawks 10-0.
Senior infielder
Colton Onstott had a dynamic game at the plate, going 4-4 with three doubles and a homer.
Junior right-handed arm
Brenden Heiss went the distance for the Fire, striking out 12 in seven innings of work and allowing just three hits to Thomas. Heiss retired 10-straight Night Hawks' hitter from the bottom of the third through the bottom of the sixth.
The game was called final after seven innings due to the 10-run rule.
GAME TWO:
The Fire and the Night Hawks combined to score 25 runs on 31 hits in the series finale.
For the first time in the series, TU struck first. The Night Hawks held a 4-1 lead over the Fire after two innings of play.
SEU responded with a monstrous nine-run inning in the top of the fifth, driving in all nine of those runs on home runs. Junior outfielder
Cristian Martin homered twice in the scoring bonanza. Senior outfielder
Abdel Guadalupe hit the game tying two-run jack, while junior catcher
Luis Cabrera belted the go-ahead grand slam home run. Martin's second home run put the Fire ahead 10-4.
The Night Hawks responded with five runs in the bottom of the fifth to trim the Fire lead to 10-9.
A two-run homer by senior infielder
Pedro Castellano put the Fire up 12-9 in the top of the seventh.
TU responded once more with two runs in the bottom of the seventh to trim the deficit to 12-11.
The Fire and the Night Hawks traded runs once more in the eighth inning.
Senior righty
Marc Soto entered in the bottom of the eighth with two outs to close the door on the Night Hawks. Soto tossed 1.1 innings of no-hit relief, striking out two in his first save of the season.
Up next in Sun Conference play, the Fire take on the Warner University Royals in Lakeland on Wednesday February 19. First pitch at Ted A. Broer Stadium is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
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