LAKELAND, Fla.- The No. 2 Southeastern University baseball team scored 14 runs on 15 hits, including five for extra bases, as the Fire defeated the No. 19 Freed-Hardeman University Lions 14-8 to win the series 3-1.
The Fire trailed the Lions 5-1 heading into the bottom of the third. In the bottom half of the frame, SEU erupted for seven runs on eight hits, including three-straight RBI base hits by
Nick Bottari,
Anthony Carrera, and
Thomas Broyles to tie things up 5-5.
An RBI-double by
Raymond Gonzalez later in the frame scored
Thomas Broyles and put the Fire on top 6-5. An RBI-single by
Austin James grew the SEU lead to 7-5 and an RBI-groundout by
Benito Varela capped off the big inning to put Southeastern up on Freed-Hardeman 8-5.
Senior left-handed pitcher
Ryan Munoz was dynamic in long relief, tossing 98 pitches in five innings of work and allowing just one run. Munoz struck out eight and posted four-consecutive scoreless frames to close out his appearance. The Isabela, Puerto Rico native improved to 3-0 on the season with the win.
Bottari belted his 14th home run of the season in the bottom of the fourth, an opposite-field solo shot to right field to grow the SEU advantage to 9-6. Gonzalez got his second RBI-base hit later in the inning on a bunt single down the first base line that brought Carrera home and put the Fire up 10-6.
Bottari finished 3-5 at the plate with three runs batted in.
The Fire host the No. 8 Keiser University Seahawks for a three-game Sun Conference series this upcoming weekend with a doubleheader slated for Friday April 2 at 2:00 and 5:00 p.m.
