LAKELAND, Fla. – The Fire got a game-tying home run from Connor Hicks in the eighth then Sean Kaelbar cracked a pinch-hit walk-off double to center field to give Southeastern University a 3-2 win over No. 7 Lewis-Clark State College tonight at Ted A. Broer Stadium.
Trailing 2-0 in the bottom of the eighth, Jon Paul Pennella sliced a left off single to left field. Three batters later, Hicks tied the contest, 2-2, with a deep drive over the center field fence for a two-run home run. Bryce McDonald set down the Warriors in order for the third-straight frame in the top half of the ninth. Alfonso Villalobos was hit by the pitch to start the home ninth, advanced to second on a wild pitch, and moved to third on a James Strom ground out to second. Kaelbar stepped to the plate and drove home the winning run with the walk-off double high off the left center field fence and the celebration began.
With the victory, SEU (3-0) won their fifth game in a row over Lewis-Clark State. The Fire won last year's match-up by a 10-3 final in the 2024 East-West Challenge in Phoenix, Ariz.
For the third night in a row, SEU's pitching was the difference. Chase Muir and McDonald combined to allow only one earned run and three hits, walked three, and struck out 13. Muir was strong as he did not give up a hit until the top of the fifth and only allowed two total while walking two and fanning eight. After an unearned run scored in the visiting sixth, McDonald set down the final 10 Warrior hitters, as he gave up only one single, one walk, and had five strikeouts.
At the plate, the Fire produced seven hits with five of those being singles, but it was the two extra-base hits which decided the game. Hicks smashed his two-run homer, while Kaelber belted the RBI game-winning double in his one pinch-hit at bat.
Alfonso Villalobos singled and scored the game-winning run. Nick Streuer, Myles White, Jacob Gumieny and Jon Paul Pennella accounted for the other hits. Charlie Collins scored one run.
SEU returns to action tomorrow when they face No. 2 and World Series defending champion Hope International. The two teams have a 6 p.m. first pitch.
