LAKELAND, Fla. -- No. 12 Oklahoma Wesleyan evened the series on Friday afternoon, using a decisive fourth inning to slip past No. 3 Southeastern 6–5 at Ted A. Broer Stadium in the second game of the four-game set. The Fire (4–2) built early momentum and carried a 4–0 lead into the fourth, but Oklahoma Wesleyan (5–2) answered with a five-run outburst that ultimately proved the difference in a tightly contested matchup between two ranked programs.
Southeastern struck first in the second inning.
Nathanial Hopkins jump-started the offense with a double to right-center that scored
Nick Streuer for a 1–0 lead. The Fire then put together their best rally in the third.
Victor Esquivel Perez was hit by a pitch to open the frame, and
Paul Wittmann followed with a single.
Braden Bartholomae dropped down a bunt single to bring home a run, and
Jace Essig added an RBI single to extend the margin. Streuer later lifted a sacrifice fly to cap a three-run inning and give SEU a 4–0 advantage.
That cushion disappeared in the fourth. The Eagles strung together five hits in the inning, highlighted by a three-run homer from Gilbert Morales that tied the game. A double from Luis Antigua and another two-bagger from Wally Diaz pushed two more runs across as OKWU surged ahead 5–4.
Southeastern's pitching settled down after the big inning.
Brody McMullen was strong in relief, tossing 5.1 innings and allowing just one unearned run while striking out seven to keep the Fire within reach.
OKWU added what became the winning run in the sixth on a sequence that included a hit and a Fire error, making it 6–4. Southeastern responded in the bottom half. Hopkins was hit by a pitch and later moved into scoring position before
Cooper Ciesielski delivered a pinch-hit RBI double to center to cut the deficit to 6–5.
The Fire threatened but couldn't find the equalizer late. Wittmann reached base twice on the day, while Essig recorded two hits and an RBI. Hopkins drove in a run and scored once, and Bartholomae also contributed an RBI knock as SEU totaled seven hits.
Oklahoma Wesleyan reliever Aden Brothers closed the door over the final 3.1 innings to earn the save, limiting Southeastern to one hit down the stretch.
The series now shifts to its finale on Saturday at Ted A. Broer Stadium, beginning at 11 a.m. with a doubleheader (seven-inning game followed by a nine-inning game).
