Baseball Splits Saturday Doubleheader with Warner

LAKE WALES, Fla.- The No. 1 Southeastern University baseball team split an afternoon doubleheader against the Warner University Royals. The Fire had a monumental comeback victory in game one 9-8 to cement the series victory, before falling the Royals 6-5 in the series finale for their first loss of the season. The loss in game two of the doubleheader snapped a 39-game regular season win streak for Southeastern.
 
GAME ONE:
After getting on the board in the top of the first with back-to-back singles from Sam Faith and Colton Onstott in the top of the first, SEU conceded four runs in both the bottom of the first and second frames to go down 8-2 to WU.
 
The Southeastern bullpen did an excellent job of filling in the middle innings and closing out the contest on the mound. The trio of Damien Torres, Ryan Munoz, and DJ Roberts compiled six scoreless innings of relief, allowing just one hit, and striking out nine. Munoz earned his first win of the season after tossing 2.2 innings of one-hit relief, walking one and striking out three. Roberts earned his first save of the season, tossing the final two-thirds of the ninth and striking out one.
 
SEU got two back in the top of the third on a two-RBI single by Onstott that cut the deficit to 8-4.
 
In the top of the fifth, Nick Bottari blasted his team-leading seventh home run of the season to trim the Warner lead to 8-5.
 
Thomas Broyles brought the Fire all the way back in the top of the eighth, drilling one over the right field wall with two on to tie things up with the Royals 8-8.
 
Austin James provided the heroics in the top of the ninth, launching a solo home run which proved to be the game-winning run, putting SEU ahead 9-8.
 
GAME TWO:
 
The Royals struck first in the bottom of the third, putting three runs across on three hits.
 
The Fire quickly answered in the top of the fourth with two runs of their own off a two-run homer to left by Anthony Carrera, which reduced the deficit to 3-2.
Senior right-handed pitcher Christian Camacho battled through six innings in the start for Southeastern. Camacho allowed three earned runs, walked two, and struck out five.
 
SEU took the lead over Warner in the top of the sixth, scoring three runs on four hits and an error. Onstott and Carrera both had RBI singles to highlight the frame, as the Fire took a 5-3 lead.
 
After the Royals got one back in the bottom of the seventh, the Fire looked to close things out in the bottom of the ninth up 5-4. However, the Royals were able to muster up two runs to walk it off against SEU 6-5.
 
The Fire continue play next Tuesday, as they take on the Ave Maria University Gyrenes in a non-conference doubleheader on the road. Game times are scheduled for 2:00 and 5:00 p.m.