LAKELAND, Fla.—The way Southeastern had hit the last seven games,
Danny Batcher had a feeling a seven-inning outing could result in the pitching staff's first complete game of the season.
The junior kept his pitch count low and the amount of baserunners lower, going all seven innings in a 10-0 win over Northwestern College (Iowa) to help the Fire record their eighth-straight seven-inning run-rule victory.
"I had command of the strike zone and was able to throw my change up wherever I wanted, and I had the energy of the team behind me," said Batcher.
Batcher allowed just three hits and hit one batter over his first six innings of work, but ran into trouble in the top of the seventh walking the first two he faced. Following a visit from pitching coach
Connor Dailey, an infield fly helped get things back on track and Batcher battled back for a pair of strikeouts looking to retire the side with his team up 6-0.
"That breather that coach Dailey gave me really helped me remember to stay in my legs and allow the team to help me out," said Batcher.
That's when the offense went to work, getting a pair of walks to lead off the inning followed by a fly out to center field by
Josh Pigozzo that was deep enough to move
Nicholas Block to second and
Jose Marcano to third.
Isaac Nunez was hit by a pitch to load the bases for
Adrian Mella who hit a sacrifice fly to make it 7-0.
Pablo Lanzarote was also hit by a pitch to bring up
Gary Lora, who hit a bases-clearing double to right field to end the game with two outs in the bottom of the seventh.
The Fire, the last remaining unbeaten team in the NAIA needed just two batters to lead 2-0 in the first with Pigozzo singling up the middle and Nunez doubling him home, then going to third on the throw to the plate, then scoring on a throwing error to third base.
A sacrifice fly by Pigozzo to four territory scored
Stephen Cullen in the second and the Fire added two more in the third on a solo homer by
Chayce Bryant and on a throwing error during a stolen base by Mella.
Cullen's team-leading ninth homer of the season came in the bottom of the fifth to put the Fire up six.
Five players had two hits each including Lanzarote who doubled twice, Nunez, Bryant, Lora, and Cullen.
The Fire will take on St. Francis (Ill.) on Friday at noon.
