LAKELAND, Fla.—Top-ranked Southeastern suffered its first loss of the season in its 26
th game of the year with a 7-4 loss to No. 14 Bellevue on Saturday.
The potent Fire offense which had scored 10 runs or more in nine straight games was limited to four runs on nine hits with a third of the hits coming in the seventh but generated just one run.
Bellevue took a 2-0 lead with two outs in the first on a two-run single to right field. After the Fire went in order in the bottom of the inning,
Darien Smith struck out the side in the top of the second. Southeastern got on the board for the first time in the bottom of the inning with an RBI groundout by
Stephen Cullen. With runners at first and third, Bellevue pitcher Blake Crippen picked up a strikeout and a flyout to end the threat.
The Bruins picked up two more in the third, getting two singles off of Smith that sandwiched a double. A two-run single up the middle made it a 4-1 game. That's when
Reece Wissinger came out of the bullpen for his longest appearance of the season, retiring the first eight he faced with six strikeouts and two groundouts.
Wissinger went 4.1 shutout innings, surrendering just two hits and finished with eight strikeouts.
The most stressful inning for Wissinger was the sixth when Bellevue got back-to-back singles that were moved to second and third on a bunt, but Wissinger responded with a strikeout and a ground ball to
Adonys Herrera at third to retire the side.
In the bottom of the sixth,
Jose Marcano hit a two-out RBI single up the middle to score
Gary Lora who drew a walk after a long at bat. The Fire cut the deficit to one in the bottom of the seventh on a
Chayce Bryant RBI single to center, but two baserunning miscues cost the Fire an opportunity to tie it.
The Bruins added three runs on four hits with a solo homer and a two-run homer to take a four-run lead to the bottom of the inning.
Josh Pigozzo led off the bottom of the ninth with a homer to center, but were unable to get any closer.
Pablo Lanzarote led the offense with two hits including a double as the Fire were held to just two extra-base hits in the game.
The Fire will return to action on Monday with a doubleheader against Hastings at noon.
