LAKELAND, Fla. – No. 3 Southeastern split Friday's doubleheader with Marian at Ted A. Broer Stadium, rolling to a 12–2 win in the opener before falling 10–5 in 10 innings in the nightcap.
The split moved the Fire to 10-4 on the season, while Marian left Lakeland at 5-1.
Game 1 – SEU 12, Marian 2
Southeastern set the tone early in the opener, using a pair of big innings and a strong outing from
Blake Sandvik to secure a decisive victory.
After Marian took a 1-0 lead on a solo home run in the second, the Fire answered immediately.
Nathanial Hopkins was hit by a pitch and moved into scoring position before
Cade Parry drew a walk. Following a sacrifice bunt from
Armani Cozza,
Dayne Wimberly delivered a two-run triple down the right-field line to give Southeastern a 2-1 advantage.
The Fire broke the game open in the third, plating four runs on three hits while capitalizing on two Marian errors. Parry drove in a run with a single up the middle, Cozza reached on a fielder's choice that led to a run after a throwing error, and Wimberly added an RBI single to stretch the lead to 6-1.
Marian trimmed the deficit with another solo home run in the fourth, but Southeastern answered again in the fifth. With the bases loaded, Wimberly singled to center to score a run,
Cooper Ciesielski followed with an RBI single, and
Braden Bartholomae added a run-scoring fielder's choice. A wild pitch allowed another run to cross, pushing the margin to 10-2.
The Fire added two more in the sixth on an RBI double from Parry and a sacrifice fly by Wimberly. Wimberly finished 3-for-3 with a triple, a sacrifice fly, and five RBIs to pace the offense. Parry also went 3-for-3 with a double, two RBIs, and a walk, while Hopkins scored four times.
On the mound, Sandvik improved to 4-0 after allowing two runs on six hits over 5.2 innings, striking out eight.
Aron Harrington recorded one out in relief, and
Finn Still closed the door with a scoreless seventh, striking out two.
Game 2 – Marian 10, SEU 5 (10 innings)
The Fire struck first in the nightcap when
Cort Pryor launched a solo home run to right center in the fourth inning to give Southeastern a 1-0 lead.
Marian responded in the fifth, taking advantage of defensive miscues to score four unearned runs and move in front 4-1. Southeastern cut into the deficit in the sixth as Pryor reached and came around to score on an RBI single by
Nick Streuer, making it 4-2.
After Marian extended its lead to 5-2 in the seventh, the Fire mounted a rally in the eighth.
Dayne Wimberly drew a leadoff walk, and Pryor was hit by a pitch to put two aboard. A bunt single loaded the bases before
Paul Wittmann drew a walk to force in a run.
Isaiah Baez was then hit by a pitch to bring home another, and
Nathanial Hopkins lifted a sacrifice fly to center to tie the game at 5-5.
The bullpen held Marian scoreless through the eighth and ninth to send the game to extras, with
Parker Lambeth and
Grant Trentmann combining for key scoreless frames.
In the 10th, Marian broke the tie with five runs on four hits, including a two-run single and an RBI double to build a 10-5 advantage. Southeastern was unable to respond in the bottom half, as the game ended on a double play.
Brock McMullen led the Fire with three hits in the nightcap, while Streuer added two hits and an RBI. Baez drove in a run and reached base twice, and Wittmann recorded an RBI and two walks.
Brody McMullen started and allowed two runs over 4.2 innings, as Southeastern utilized seven pitchers in the extra-inning contest.
Southeastern returns to action Saturday, February 21, with another doubleheader against Marian at Ted A. Broer Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 11 a.m., with Game 1 set for seven innings and Game 2 slated for a full nine-inning contest.
