Box Score LAKELAND, Fla. – Southeastern University used four home runs and solid work on the mound in a 6-1 victory over No. 24 University of British Columbia Thursday night at Ted A. Broer Stadium in their second game of the East-West Challenge.
After SEU left the bases loaded in the home first, James Strom belted a leadoff home run in the second. Peter Tassler made it two innings in a row with a lead off round tripper in the third, before Nick Streuer made it 3-straight lead-off home runs in the fourth for a 3-0 lead. The Fire doubled their runs from there, but they didn't need them as Aaron Robertson gave up only two hits in five innings before Cole Jones, Anthony Ortiz and Micah Earwood each added scoreless frames.
SEU (2-0) has now outscored their first two opponents by a combined 13-1 total. The Fire also made it two wins in as many matchups with the Thunderbirds – SEU won a 4-1 meeting on May 13, 2019 in the NAIA National Tournament First Round in Macon, Ga.
Tassler accounted for more than a third of the home hits as he had four of the 15 hits in his five at bats with two home runs, two runs, and two RBI. Charlie Collins, Connor Hicks, and Jon Paul Pennella each had two hits. Collins drove in one run and Pennella swiped a pair of bases and walked one time. Myles White singled in one run and drew a pair of walks, while both Alfonso Villalobos and Jacob Gumieny singled in the game.
On the mound, Robertson picked up his first win, scattering two hits and a walk with eight strikeouts over five innings of work. Jones struck out the side in the sixth. Ortiz and Earwood had one strikeout each in the seventh and eighth. SEU entered the ninth inning with their first back-to-back shutouts in two years within reach, but Olvis Genao gave up a lead off home run before ending the inning in dominant fashion by striking out the last two batters, registering the 14th and 15th punch-outs by Fire pitching on the night.
In the home fourth after the Streuer lead-off homer, Hicks and Tassler sliced one-out singles. White drove his own single to left center and plated Hicks for a 4-0 home lead.
Completing the home scoring with one out, Tassler connected on his second home run, this one to center field.
SEU will be right back at Broer Stadium on Friday evening against No. 7 Lewis-Clark State College. First pitch will be at 6 p.m.
