Baseball Caps off Cajun Collision with Two Comeback Victories

STERLINGTON, La.-The No. 3 Southeastern University Fire baseball team cemented an unblemished run at the Cajun Collision in Sterlington on day two of play, as the Fire defeated the No. 12 Loyola (La.) University Wolf Pack 9-8 in game one before taking down the Lawrence Tech Blue Devils 7-3 in their second contest.
 
 
GAME ONE: No. 3 Southeastern 9   No. 12 Loyola (La.) 8
 
The Fire found themselves at an early 3-0 deficit after the Wolf Pack plated three runs in the top of the second. SEU got one back in the bottom of the frame on an RBI-single to right field that scored Garrett Sheffield.
 
Loyola expanded its advantage to 5-1 with two more runs on two homers in the top of the third.
 
However, Southeastern answered with two long balls of their own in the bottom of the frame. First, Brian Fuentes belted a three-run shot to left to bring the Fire within a run. In the next at-bat Gary Lora evened things up at 5-5 with his seventh homer of the season. This was the second time in as many days that Fuentes and Lora went back-to-back with home runs.
 
The Wolf Pack answered with their fourth homer of the day, a two-run shot in the top of the fourth to regain the lead 7-5.
 
However, it was the SEU bats that had the final word. The Fire manufactured four runs on four hits in the bottom of the fifth to take a 9-7 lead over Loyola. A two-RBI single to right by Thomas Broyles scored the go-ahead runs for the Fire.
 
DJ Roberts came out of the bullpen to earn the win on the mound for SEU, tossing 4.2 innings, allowing three runs on six hits, walking one, and striking out five.
 
Alex Munroe came out of the pen in the top of the seventh with two outs to close out the contest. Munroe earned the save with a seven-pitch strikeout to record the final out of the game.
 
GAME TWO: No. 3 Southeastern 7   Lawrence Tech 3
 
It was another comeback victory for the Fire. With the game even 1-1 after 1, the Blue Devils opened a 3-1 lead over the Fire with two runs in the bottom of the fourth inning.
 
The Fire answered with a decisive six-run inning in the top of the fifth, plating those six runs on five hits.
 
First, Sam Faith evened things up 3-3 with a two-RBI double in the frame. An RBI-single by Fuentes scored Faith and put SEU on top 4-3. Luis Cabrera capped off the big inning with a solo home run to grow the Southeastern advantage to 7-3.
 
After earning the save in game one, Munroe picked up the winning decision out of the bullpen versus Lawrence Tech, conceding two runs and striking out two over two innings of relief.
 
With the tying run on deck, Israel Cordero came out of the pen in the bottom of the seventh with one out to end the contest with back-to-back strikeouts.
 
The Fire now return to the Sunshine State next weekend to host their Sun Conference-opening series versus the USCB Sand Sharks. The series opens next Friday with a 1:00/4:00 p.m. doubleheader with the series finale the next day on Saturday at 12:00 p.m.