UPLAND, Ind.—Southeastern made eight runs in the first four innings stand in a win over Bryan to open play at the Upland Bracket of the NAIA National Championship Opening Round.
The Fire posted five homers by the fourth inning to come away with an 9-5 win over the Lions to advance to the semifinal Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. against UNOH.
SEU, the top seed in the bracket saw a little adversity in the first when the Lions got two on with the first two pitches of the game on a pair of singles but starting pitcher
Drew Gillespie battled back to retire the next 10 batters he faced before allowing a solo homer in the fourth.
Gillespie improved to 10-0, working six innings with four earned runs allowed on eight hits. The senior struck out nine and walked two on 105 pitches.
In the second,
Sam Faith gave the Fire (52-3) their first hit and run of the game on one swing with a homer to right. Later that inning,
Stephen Cullen hit a two-run shot off the right field foul pole to push the lead to three.
"I don't think too much at the plate now, I just look for ways to help the team and keep it simple," said Faith. "I've been seeing the ball well and put a good swing on it today."
Both players also homered in the fourth, again Faith had a solo shot and Cullen picked up
Isaac Nunez for the second time.
Jose Marcano made it 7-1 with a home run to left and
Abdel Guadalupe's RBI single up the middle capped off the five-run inning.
Faith was 3-for-4 with three runs scored and Cullen was 2-for-4 with two runs scored. Guadalupe finished the game 2-for-3.
The Lions scored the next four runs of the game, getting a solo homer and an RBI single in the fifth, a bases loaded walk in the sixth along with a fielding error to cut the deficit to three.
Alex Munroe came in to pitch two perfect innings in relief with three strikeouts, and
Damien Torres closed the door in the ninth with a scoreless frame.
"Alex goes out there and competes and Damien shut the door," said coach
Adrian Dinkel. "I thought those guys did a great job and anytime you can put up three zeros in a row you feel good about the bullpen's response."
Shamir Morales got the Fire an insurance run with a sacrifice fly in the eighth.
