UPLAND, Ind.—Southeastern overcame a four-run deficit to improve to 2-0 and advance to the final of the NAIA National Championship Opening Round Upland Bracket with a 9-6 win over second-seeded UNOH.
The Racers (38-13) jumped out to a 4-0 lead with a pair of two-out, two-run homers in the first two innings.
Sam Faith got the Fire on the board in the bottom of the third with a two-out, two-run single with his team-leading 13
th hit of the postseason to pick up
Gary Lora who had the first hit of the game for the Fire with a double and
Brian Fuentes who drew a walk.
Fuentes tied it in the fourth with some more two-out magic, singling to centerfield to score
Thomas Broyles and
Stephen Cullen. The Racers regained the lead on another two-run homer in the fifth.
That's when the Fire bullpen stepped in to shut the door, recording 4.2 shutout innings in relief of starter
Robb Adams to give the offense time to get the lead.
"Our bullpen has been keeping us in these games," said coach
Adrian Dinkel. "They've done a really good job. Obviously, we are an offense that can get things going and they're going to continue to put up zeros to get that offense going."
The offense came to the aid of its hurlers with a four-run sixth, getting an RBI single from Broyles which was compounded by a miscue in right field to tie the game at six.
Abdel Guadalupe gave SEU its first lead of the game with a double to left, and Fuentes made it 8-6 with an RBI single to center. He added a solo homer to center in the eighth to tack on an insurance run and finish the day 3-for-4 with four RBIs.
"I tried to stay in the middle a little more and stay back and go the other way and it paid off," said Fuentes.
Eston Stull worked 2.2 innings to earn his first win of the season, allowing one hit and one walk with a strikeout.
Alex Munroe went 1.2, walking two and striking out two.
Ronnie Voacolo earned the save, giving up a hit and getting a flyout to end the game.
This season, the Fire have overcome a pair of three-run deficits, a six-run deficit, and a seven-run deficit to go along with Tuesday's four-run deficit with four of those coming in the last month.
"We take pride and trust in each other that everyone can come through," said Fuentes. "We just try to keep ourselves calm and trust in each other."
The Fire will now await the winner of the consolation bracket in tomorrow's final with a 6:30 p.m. first pitch at Winterholter Field.
