LAKELAND, Fla. – The Fire had their first chance of the spring to bounce back from adversity and responded. Southeastern University posted a seven-run second inning to earn a split against No. 21 Concordia University (Neb.) with a 9-3 win after suffering its first loss of the season in the opener.
Concordia came out swinging on Saturday and built a 12-2 lead after 4.5 innings. SEU battled back with a six-run fourth and two more in the fifth before Charlie Collins blasted a 3-run homer to pull the Fire within two runs at 15-13. The Bulldogs, however, plated five more runs and held the Fire to only two hits in the final three frames to seal the victory.
Trailing 2-0 in the second inning of game two, the Fire recorded the biggest output of the day, scoring seven runs on only three hits. In the inning, Collins lined a 2-run single and Connor Hicks added a two-run home run in the fourth, while Bryce McDonald kept Concordia in check over six strong frames of work.
SEU's season-opening streak ended at 20 games with the high-scoring first game. The Fire completed the 4-game series with three wins and a 21-1 mark on the season. Concordia is now 9-6.
Hicks carried the top SEU stick of the day, going 5-for-7 with three singles, a double, and a home run, along with two runs, four RBI, and a stolen base. Nick Streuer pounded out four hits in five trips to the plate in game one with two doubles and a three-run homer with three runs and five RBI.
Both Collins and James Strom chipped in three singles – Collins had three runs and three RBI, and Strom two runs and two RBI. Alfonso Villalobos doubled and singled in the opener.
McDonald improved to 4-0 with his six-inning outing, giving up six hits, one earned run, and three walks with three strikeouts. Cole Jones finished the game with a scoreless seventh, striking out two.
Both Olvis Genao and Hunter McCollum logged scoreless innings in Game 1.
The Fire return to action on Thursday when they head to Warner University to start a four-game series, their first Sun Conference series of the season. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.
