MOBILE, Ala. -- No. 3 SEU Baseball opened its four-game weekend series on the road with a hard-earned 4–3 victory over Mobile on Thursday afternoon at Jacobs Field, improving to 6–3 on the season and passing its first true road test of 2026.
Southeastern threatened in the top of the first when
Jace Essig singled and quickly swiped second, then moved to third on a flyout. But Mobile escaped the inning without damage and answered in the bottom half. A leadoff double and a bunt single put pressure on the Fire defense, and a run-scoring fielder's choice gave the Rams a 1–0 lead.
The Fire manufactured a response in the third inning through speed and situational hitting.
Paul Wittmann worked a walk, then made an immediate impact on the basepaths by stealing second and third. After another walk and a hit-by-pitch created traffic,
Braden Bartholomae delivered a sacrifice fly to left to bring Wittmann home and even the score at 1–1.
Mobile continued to apply pressure and regained the lead in the bottom of the third on a sacrifice fly. The Rams added another run in the fifth, again using productive outs to cash in a baserunner and push the margin to 3–1. Southeastern suddenly found itself in a two-run hole and in need of a spark.
That spark arrived in the sixth inning.
Cort Pryor drew a leadoff walk, and Bartholomae followed with a single through the right side. After Bartholomae stole second to move both runners into scoring position,
Cade Parry stepped in for what became the defining at-bat of the game. Parry battled through a nine-pitch plate appearance, repeatedly fouling off pitches and refusing to expand the zone. On the ninth pitch, he connected and sent a drive over the left-field wall for a three-run homer. Just like that, a two-run deficit turned into a 4–3 Southeastern lead.
From there, Southeastern's pitching staff took control. Starter
Blake Sandvik turned in another composed outing, earning the win to improve to 3–0. The right-hander worked 6.1 innings, allowing three runs on six hits while striking out five. He navigated multiple innings with runners on base and consistently limited the damage, keeping the Fire within striking distance until the offense broke through.
Micah Earwood provided a crucial bridge out of the bullpen, recording two strikeouts and stranding inherited runners in a tense seventh inning.
John McDonald followed with a clean frame, attacking hitters and generating weak contact.
Cole Jones handled the ninth with poise to earn his first save of the season. After recording two quick outs, he allowed a single that put the tying run on base. Jones stayed composed, worked ahead, and induced a routine groundout to end the game and seal the one-run victory.
Despite being outhit 7–3, SEU made the most of its opportunities. The Fire drew five walks, stole multiple bases, and executed in key situations. Their limited hits came in big moments, and the pitching staff combined to manage several high-pressure spots.
The series continues Friday with a doubleheader at Jacobs Field. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. ET as Southeastern looks to build on the opening win and secure the series advantage before Saturday's finale.
