LAKELAND, Fla.- On a day where the Fire launched seven home runs between two contests, the No. 2 Southeastern University baseball team took both games of an afternoon doubleheader over the Florida Memorial University Lions to sweep The Sun Conference weekend series. SEU took game one 12-5 before cementing the series sweep with a 6-0 shutout win in game two.
The Fire honored 15 graduating seniors prior to first pitch of game one.
GAME ONE:
The Fire came out swinging with four runs in the bottom of the first thanks to a pair of home runs. Senior outfielder
Anthony Carrera led off the game with his first of two long balls on the day, a solo shot to right-center. Senior infielder
Austin James followed that up with a three-run bomb to right field to put the Fire ahead 4-0.
James' former University of Missouri teammate
Thomas Broyles hit a homer of his own in the top of the second to put SEU ahead 5-0.
Outside of a pair of runs scored against him on passed balls, senior right-handed pitcher
Jayden Hartle was untouchable in his winning start. The Payson, Utah native allowed just three hits and struck out five over five innings of work.
The Fire tacked on six runs on six hits in the bottom of the fifth to open the game up to a 11-2 advantage over the Lions.
Senior outfielder
Carter Bridge punctuated the victory with a home run to left on the first pitch he saw in the bottom of the seventh to put the Fire ahead 12-5.
Senior designated hitter
Colton Onstott finished the first game 3-4 at the plate with two runs scored and an RBI.
GAME TWO:
Junior right-handed pitcher
Zach Rice was dynamic on the mound. Rice tossed seven innings of one-hit shutout baseball, conceding four walks and striking out six in his first appearance in over a month.
In just his second career game for SEU, sophomore infielder
Billy Mote hit his first career home run for the Fire, a two-run dinger in the bottom of the second that put the Fire ahead 2-0.
Carrera belted his second long ball of the day in the bottom of the fifth, a two-run shot to right that grew the Southeastern advantage to 3-0.
Bridge drove in the remaining Fire runs. First, the West Lafayette, Ind. native propelled his second home run of the day over the left field wall in the bottom of the seventh, a two-run missile that put the Fire up 5-0. In the bottom of the eighth, Bridge drove
Raymond Gonzalez home on an RBI-single to left field to grow the lead to 6-0.
Up next, the Fire are scheduled to make the trip to Miami Gardens for a three-game Sun Conference series at the No. 18 St. Thomas University Bobcats. The series opener is slated for Friday at 6:00 p.m.
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