Box Score LEWISTON, Idaho – It took a record-setting powerhouse to end Southeastern University's title run. Despite leading twice in the opening four innings, the Fire couldn't hold off undefeated No. 1 LSU Shreveport, falling 13-7 in the 2025 Avista NAIA World Series Championship Game Friday night.
Facing a team on the brink of history, the Fire struck early and often. After an umpire ruling nullified the final out of the top of the first inning due to a stray ball in the outfield, James Strom took full advantage by ripping a two-run double to right. Southeastern added a two-run triple from Charlie Collins in the second and regained a 6-5 lead in the fourth, showing early resilience and offensive firepower.
But the Pilots (59-0) responded like champions, scoring the game's final eight runs while retiring the last 13 SEU hitters to complete a perfect season—the most successful undefeated campaign in collegiate baseball history.
"Credit to LSU Shreveport. That's a really talented, well-coached team," said head coach Gabe Grinder. "We fought hard and had our chances, but they capitalized when it mattered most."
The championship game marked Southeastern's second meeting with the top-ranked Pilots in three days, having fallen 10-0 in the semifinal on Wednesday. But the Fire earned a shot at redemption after eliminating No. 2 Georgia Gwinnett in dominant fashion, 16-6, in Thursday's elimination game.
Southeastern's offense opened strong with eight hits through the first 4.2 innings before being shut down in the final 4.1. Collins, Alfonso Villalobos, and Nick Streuer each tallied two hits. Collins tripled and singled with two RBI and a run scored. Villalobos notched two singles and a run, while Streuer added two singles, two runs, and an RBI.
Strom's two-run double set the tone in the first, and Jon Paul Pennella singled home a run and scored another. Hicks and Hinrikus each scored after drawing walks.
SEU's bullpen struggled to contain LSU Shreveport's relentless offense, issuing 11 walks, five hit batters, and three wild pitches. Tyler Zylstra was a bright spot in relief, tossing a scoreless eighth with a strikeout.
After Southeastern built a 4-0 lead through two innings, LSU Shreveport responded with three runs in the second and two more in the third to take a 5-4 lead. The Fire reclaimed momentum in the fourth with two walks, a sacrifice bunt, a wild pitch, and Pennella's RBI single to go back ahead 6-5.
In the fifth, Streuer's RBI single extended the lead to 7-5, but the Pilots took control for good with a run in the fifth and back-to-back solo home runs to open a four-run sixth inning. That surge put LSU Shreveport ahead 10-7, and the Pilots added three more in the seventh to put the game out of reach.
Though Friday's result fell short of the ultimate goal, the Fire capped another remarkable season with a 47-15 final record and proved once again to have a program that is elite in the NAIA. SEU extended its streak to 23 consecutive winning seasons and posted at least 47 wins for the eighth straight full season. After a Sun Conference semifinal exit, the Fire rattled off three straight wins in the NAIA Opening Round and returned to the World Series for another deep run.
