LAKELAND, Fla.- On a day where the Fire plated 27 runs on 25 hits, the No. 4 Southeastern University baseball team surged to take both games of the Saturday doubleheader over the Ave Maria University Gyrenes to secure the series sweep. The Fire took game one 17-7 in eight innings and took care of business 10-5 in the series finale. With the win, SEU improved to a perfect 9-0 in Sun Conference play.
GAME ONE:
The Ave Maria and Southeastern pitching staffs conceded a combined 24 walks in the game, with the Gyrenes surrendering 11 and the Fire 13.
The Gyrenes struck first in the top of the first, plating two runs on a hit and five walks.
The Fire answered to tie things up 2-2 in the bottom of the frame with an RBI double by
Zach Cornell and an RBI single by
Sam Faith.
The SEU offense then jumped out on AMU in the bottom of the second, scoring seven runs on three hits and six walks to go up 9-2.
With the Fire leading 11-2 after three innings of play, the Gyrenes responded with three runs in the top of the fourth to trim the deficit to 11-5. However, SEU responded with three runs of their own to go back up 14-4.
Senior infielder
Pedro Castellano belted his eighth home run of the year in the bottom of the sixth, a solo shot to right-center.
Junior designated hitter
Nolan Machibroda ended the contest via 10-run rule in the bottom of the eighth with a three-run home run to right field to put SEU ahead 17-7.
Junior left-handed pitcher
Cody Hawthorne earned the win for the Fire after tossing two innings of relief, striking out four Gyrenes.
GAME TWO:
The series finale was tightly contested through the first half of the contest. The Gyrenes struck first again in the top of the first to take a 1-0 lead.
Cornell smacked an RBI-double to left center in the bottom of the first to put SEU on the board and later in the frame, Faith hit a two-RBI single through the left side to put Southeastern up 3-1.
After the Gyrenes fought to tie the game 4-4 in the top of the fourth, senior first baseman
Nick Bottari hit a pinch-hit two-RBI double to left-center to pull the Fire ahead 6-4 in the bottom half of the inning.
SEU tacked on four insurance runs on four hits in the bottom of the fifth to take an 10-5 lead.
Senior righty
Marc Soto improved to 3-0 on the season, tossing two innings of relief and striking out two for SEU.
Junior right-handed arm
Al Pesto made his much anticipated season-debut after recovering from injury. The Duke transfer tosses a scoreless top of the eighth, striking out one.
"I think we did another great job offensively. Once again I feel like they bailed us out on the mound," shared SEU head coach
Adrian Dinkel. "We know we have to find some guys to step up on the mound to get us out of sticky situations and we are going to find those guys."
The Fire return to action on Monday with a non-conference bout versus the RV Madonna University Crusaders at Ted A. Broer Stadium. First pitch is set for 12:00 p.m. eastern.
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