LAKELAND, Fla.—A grand slam put Southeastern down 7-1 in the fourth, but the Fire were able to chip away at the lead and eventually win the game with three runs in the ninth for a wild 13-12 win to sweep the Sun Conference series.
In the fourth,
Isaac Nunez hit a sacrifice fly to score
Jose Marcano and
Brandon Fields scored on a wild pitch. Two more runs scored on a bases-clearing double by
Gary Lora to get the Fire within two at 7-5. All four Fire runs in the fourth were unearned due to a pair of errors.
Keiser came back in the sixth with a two-run homer and an RBI double to push the lead back to five.
The Fire used the long ball to cut into the deficit in the seventh with two-run homers by
Gary Lora and
Stephen Cullen to make it 10-9.
An RBI single in the eighth put Keiser up 11-9. Lora picked up his fifth RBI of the game on a sacrifice fly to the first baseman, allowing Nunez to score to get back within a run. Keiser pushed it back to two with an unearned run in the ninth on an RBI single.
Southeastern sent six to the plate in the ninth, starting with a
Jose Marcano double to the right field corner and a walk to
Brandon Fields.
Josh Pigozzo's RBI single to center brought home Marcano. Nunez grounded a ball back to the pitcher who tried to retire Pigozzo at second, but was safe on the play, allowing Fields to score and tie the game. A wild pitch put runners at second and third and
Adonys Herrera was hit by a pitch for the second time in as many innings to load the bases for Lora.
Lora hit into a fielder's choice with Pigozzo out at the plate to keep the game tied. A 1-0 pitch went off the glove of the catcher just far enough to allow Nunez to score from third and end the game.
Herrera and Marcano each had a team-best three hits including a double. Pigozzo and Lora had two hits each.
Olvis Genao picked up his first win of the season working an inning and a third with four strikeouts and allowing just one unearned run on two hits.
The Fire will head to Miami Gardens next weekend for a three-game series with St. Thomas starting on Friday.
