LEWISTON, Idaho — After surrendering the first three runs of the game and later watching an five-run lead disappear, Southeastern responded with another offensive surge and held on late for a 14-13 victory over Johnson University in its opening game of the Avista NAIA Baseball World Series on Friday at Harris Field.
In a game that featured 27 combined runs, Southeastern and Johnson produced the second-highest scoring World Series game involving the Fire in program history, trailing only SEU's 25-13 victory over LSU Shreveport on May 29, 2021. The 13 runs allowed also matched that 2021 contest for the most runs surrendered by Southeastern in a World Series win. The Fire improved to 6-2 all-time in World Series openers while recording their seventh 10-run performance in a World Series game.
Southeastern collected 15 hits and received multi-hit performances from five different players in a back-and-forth contest that featured five combined home runs.
Johnson struck first with single runs in each of the opening three innings, building a 3-0 lead before the Fire offense answered in the bottom of the third.
Brock McMullen doubled to open the inning and
Nathanial Hopkins followed with an RBI double to center.
Armani Cozza then drove home another run with a single to right-center to cut the deficit to 3-2.
The game swung dramatically in the fourth inning when Southeastern erupted for six runs on four hits.
Cort Pryor tied the game with an RBI double before
Braden Bartholomae gave the Fire their first lead with an RBI single. Hopkins then ripped a two-run double into the gap in left-center, and Cozza capped the inning with a two-run homer to right-center to put SEU in front 8-3.
Johnson answered with a run in the fifth before putting together its biggest inning of the afternoon in the sixth. The Royals plated six runs, highlighted by a three-run homer from Izaak Fernandez, to reclaim a 10-8 advantage.
Southeastern immediately responded in the bottom half of the inning.
Bartholomae and Hopkins opened the frame with consecutive singles before Cozza loaded the bases with another base hit.
Jace Essig reached on an error to bring home a run, and
Cade Parry followed with a two-run single to left that pushed the Fire back in front. Later in the inning, another run scored on a wild pitch before McMullen drew a bases-loaded walk to extend the lead to 13-10.
The Fire bullpen settled the game down over the next two innings.
Hayden Givens-Craig tossed 2.1 innings while allowing two runs and striking out two before
Blake Albritton recorded the final two outs for his first save of the season.
Bartholomae added an insurance run in the eighth with a solo homer to center field, which proved critical after Johnson mounted one final rally in the ninth. Christian Altamirano launched a three-run homer down the left-field line to cut the deficit to one, but Albritton induced the final out to strand the tying run in scoring position.
Hopkins finished 4-for-4 with three RBIs and two doubles, while Cozza went 4-for-6 with three RBIs and a home run at the top of the lineup. Bartholomae added three hits and two RBIs, and Parry drove in two more runs.
Peyten Czekalewski earned the win in relief to improve to 5-0 on the season.
The Fire improved to 44-16 on the season and advanced to Tuesday's 9:30 p.m. EDT matchup against the winner of Tennessee Wesleyan and IU Southeast.
