LAKELAND, Fla.—Southeastern had more production in its first inning on Friday against Oklahoma Wesleyan than it did in its 10-inning comeback win over the Eagles just 24 hours earlier.
The Fire improved to 11-0 on the season with an 11-1 win over the 17
th-ranked Eagles in seven innings.
After allowing a two-out solo home run in the top of the first, starting pitcher
Darien Smith settled in and tossed five scoreless innings. He improved to 3-0 after working six innings and allowing just two hits, both to Tommy Davis and finished with 10 strikeouts and just two walks.
"I think my rhythm and tempo was really upbeat from my last outing, I just stayed true and stayed on the path and felt really good today," said Smith.
A seven-run first by the Fire in which they sent 10 players to the plate gave Smith a boost going forward.
"Our guys can swing it and they really showed it tonight," said Smith.
A two-out throwing error sparked the Fire first with
Pablo Lanzarote driving a ball to center field to score
Isaac Nunez, whose one-out single up the middle gave him a hit in each of the team's 11 games played.
Chayce Bryant's team-leading fifth home run of the season to left center brought in three more to make it 4-1.
Bryant finished 2-for-3 with two runs scored.
Brandon Fields added a three-run homer in the first to wrap up the scoring in the inning. All seven runs were unearned.
"I think today we came in with a different mindset and deliver shorter barrels and see pitches up and I think they bought into it early in the day in batting practice," said coach
Adrian Dinkel. "Our guys stayed on the ball and didn't try to do too much."
Lanzarote picked up another RBI on a sacrifice fly in the second, and
Josh Pigozzo picked up an RBI in the third on a groundout, and two more in the fifth on a single to left.
David Castillo and Pigozzo had two hits each.
The three-game series concludes Saturday at noon.
