LAKELAND, Fla. – No. 3 Southeastern swept Saturday's doubleheader against Marian at Ted A. Broer Stadium, taking Game 1 by a 5-3 score before erupting for a 13-3 run-rule victory in the nightcap.
With the pair of wins, the Fire improved to 12-4 on the season, while Marian fell to 5-3.
Game 1 – Southeastern 5, Marian 3 (7 innings)
The opener, scheduled for seven innings, was decided in the sixth.
Southeastern struck first in the bottom of the first as
Nick Streuer singled and later scored on a sacrifice fly by
Nathanial Hopkins.
Cade Parry followed with an RBI single to make it 2-0.
Marian trimmed the deficit to 2-1 in the fifth on an unearned run and evened the score in the sixth with a sacrifice fly.
Parry answered immediately in the bottom half, leading off the inning with a solo home run to left—his third of the season—to give the Fire a 3-2 edge. Southeastern added two more runs in the frame, capitalizing on a throwing error and an RBI single from Victor Perez to stretch the lead to 5-2.
Marian pushed across a run in the seventh, but
Parker Lambeth closed out the final two innings to secure the win.
Byler Reither started and worked five innings, allowing one unearned run while striking out four. Lambeth earned the victory in relief.
Parry finished 2-for-3 with two RBIs, while Streuer added two hits as part of a nine-hit effort.
Game 2 – Southeastern 13, Marian 3 (7 innings, scheduled for 9)
The nightcap was scheduled for nine innings but ended in the seventh due to the 10-run rule after Southeastern scored 11 runs in the final frame.
Marian grabbed an early 1-0 lead and later went in front 3-1 in the fifth, taking advantage of defensive miscues.
Southeastern began its comeback in the sixth when
Paul Wittmann delivered an RBI single to cut the deficit to 3-2.
The Fire then overwhelmed Marian in the seventh. After loading the bases, Southeastern tied the game on a hit-by-pitch and took the lead on another bases-loaded plunk. Wittmann added an RBI groundout before the inning snowballed. Perez was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, Streuer lined a two-run single to center, and
Cort Pryor followed with an RBI single. An error and an RBI single by
Jace Essig capped the 11-run outburst and sealed the run-rule win at 13-3.
Southeastern totaled nine hits, drew seven walks, and was hit by five pitches in the contest.
Pryor led the offense with three hits, while Streuer drove in two runs and scored twice. Wittmann and Essig each finished with two RBIs.
Blake Albritton struck out nine over 5.1 innings, allowing three runs—none earned—while
Austin Peddycoart earned the win with 1.2 scoreless innings of relief.
The Fire claimed both games of the doubleheader to secure the series victory over Marian.
Southeastern will have a week off before returning to action at home against Peru State. The four-game series at Ted A. Broer Stadium begins Thursday, March 5 at 6 p.m., continues with a Friday, March 6 doubleheader at 2 p.m., and concludes Saturday, March 7 at 11 a.m.
