Power Hitting Helps Fire take First Game of Warner Series

The No. 4 Southeastern University put on a power display Wednesday night against the Warner Royals. The Fire hit a total of seven home runs in the game and progressed their winning streak to 10 games with a 12-1 victory.
 
Junior right-hander Bryce Mulcahy tossed five scoreless innings without giving up a single hit until the top of the sixth. On only four days of rest, Mulcahy shut down hitters with his fastball and off-speed pitches, as he impressed with five strikeouts on the night
 
"That guy is good," said coach Adrian Dinkel of Mulcahy. "He throws three pitches for strikes and commands it. That's why he throws on Friday nights."
 
The Fire were already considered an offensive juggernaut coming into the 2020 season, but they made it clear Wednesday night with an explosive offensive performance that helped the team take the lead in the NAIA in total home runs (41), in just 12 games of play in the young season.
 
In the first inning, Zach Cornell started off the home run barrage by hitting a ball deep to right center, in which he contributed a pair of RBIs to give Southeastern the 2-0 lead early on.
 
"He's just awesome. That guy's elite," said Dinkel of Cornell. "He's dynamic, and that's why he hits in the middle of the order." Cornell had a stellar night, going 3-for-4 at the plate with a home run and driving in three runs. He now has a .531 batting average in just 12 games.
 
Southeastern did not stop there as they hit two more homers in the third inning coming from center fielder Christian Martin, and first baseman Colton Onstott. Martin has six homers on the season in which he is tied with second baseman Pedro Castellano (6) and Cornell (6).
 
From the third to the fifth inning, Mulcahy continued to silence the Warner bats, as he was keeping his no-hitter alive. In the bottom of the fifth, Southeastern was feeling the heat as three players homered with Abdel Guadalupe with his seventh of the year, Nolan Machibroda with his second, and Blake Buckman with his second of the year.
 
Guadalupe homered twice on the night, in back-to-back innings, and is now leading the team with seven dingers on the season.
 
Mulcahy moves to 3-0 on the season with a 0.78 ERA.
 
The Fire will take a break from their Sun Conference series with the Royals to take on the Detroit Tigers in a Spring Training exhibition game on Friday at 1:05 p.m.