LAKELAND, Fla.—The bats came alive in a doubleheader sweep for Southeastern over Ave Maria, taking the first game 15-1 then coming from behind in the second to win 11-7.
Four the fourth time in program history, the Fire have won 20 or more games in Sun Conference play.
Southeastern (46-3) scored six runs in the bottom of the first in Game 1 with
Sam Faith driving in two with an RBI single down the left field line and
Isaac Nunez starting his 4-for-4 showing with an RBI single to left.
Stephen Cullen blasted his seventh homer of the season over the center field wall for a three-run shot.
Nunez homered in the third to make it 7-0 and the Gyrenes answered in the fourth with a solo homer. In the fifth, the Fire picked up four more on a three-run homer by
Thomas Broyles and a solo shot by
Abdel Guadalupe. Guadalupe made it 12-1 in the sixth with a sacrifice fly, then
Brian Fuentes hit a single up the middle to score Zach Diewart and a solo home run by
Gary Lora capped the scoring.
Robb Adams improved to 13-1 on the year, going five innings with nine strikeouts.
Eston Stull and
Evan Hiatt each worked a scoreless frame in relief with two strikeouts each.
Broyles finished 2-for-3 with two runs scored and three RBIs. Fuentes was also 2-for-3 with two runs scored.
Shamir Morales was 2-for-2 and Lora finished with two hits and two runs scored.
Ave Maria built a 4-2 lead in the fifth inning of the first game thanks to a pair of solo home runs. The Fire scored a run in the second on a throwing error and in the third, got a solo homer from Lora. In the fifth,
Brian Fuentes brought in a run with a fielder's choice and Nunez brought him home on an RBI double to tie the game.
In the sixth, the Fire took the lead on a sacrifice fly with the bases loaded by Fuentes but were unable to continue the inning after the runner at second was called out for leaving early.
A six-run seventh created plenty of breathing room.
Enrique Porchas brought in a run with a single to right and
Jose Marcano's squeeze bunt made it 7-4. A single to right by Broyles scored Porchas to make it 8-4 and a pair of two-out errors made the Fire lead six. Fuentes hit an RBI double to right to make it 11-4.
Ave Maria got a two-run homer in the eighth and an RBI double in the ninth.
Alex Munroe worked 3.2 innings in relief of
Drew Gillespie with six strikeouts and allowed just one run on three hits.
Ronnie Voacolo improved to 3-0 working 2.1 innings with a pair of strikeouts. The senior allowed two earned on three hits.
John Jones worked the final inning.
Nunez finished the second game 2-for-3. Broyles, Fuentes, and Lora had two hits each.
The Fire will conclude the regular season Saturday with an 11 a.m. first pitch. Senior Day ceremonies will take place at 10:15.
