LAKELAND, Fla.- The No. 1 Southeastern University baseball team bounced back nicely from a tough loss to No. 2 Tennessee Wesleyan yesterday, compiling 16 hits at the plate and 14 strikeouts on the mound in an 8-3 win over the Saint Xavier University Cougars to open up the three-game series.
“It was good to see our guys come back out and compete tonight after a tough loss yesterday. We were successful at the plate and especially on the mound with striking out 14 so it was good to see some guys dial it back in for us,” shared head coach Adrian Dinkel.
The Fire struck quickly in the bottom of the first, driving in two runs on three hits and an error. An RBI single up the middle by senior infielder Dominic Anagnos drove in Manuel Mesa to get things started. A double to left field by junior outfielder Abdel Guadalupe brought Ivan Nunez home and put SEU ahead 2-0.
The Cougars knotted things up 2-2 in the top of the third with a two-run homer by Drew Hunniford. However, the Fire quickly regained the lead in the bottom half of the frame thanks to a solo home run by Guadalupe to left field with two outs. The long ball was his fifth of the season.
Senior right-handed pitcher Keven Long displayed sequences of dominance in his start on the mound for Southeastern.
From the top of the first through the top of the third, Long struck out five consecutive Cougars, not allowing an SXU baserunner through 2.2 innings pitched.
Long finished the day with a season-high 10 strikeouts, improving to 4-0 on the season with the winning decision.
The Fire grew their lead in the bottom of the fifth off the bat of Colton Onstott, whose two-RBI double scored Dan Valerio and Noah Strohl.
SEU took a 7-2 lead over SXU in the bottom of the seventh when senior infielder Adam De La Cruz homered over the left field fence, his second home run of the season.
After Saint Xavier snapped a four-inning scoreless streak in the top of the eight after scoring one run, Southeastern nullified the plate-crossing with a run of their own off a wild pitch.
After coming entering the game in the top of the eighth with the bases-loaded, no outs, and the tying run on deck, senior righty Kyle Wilson closed out the game with two innings of one-hit baseball to earn his first save on the season.
The Fire look to go for the series sweep against the Cougars tomorrow, as they take on Saint Xavier in a doubleheader at 4:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. inside Ted A. Broer Stadium.
MATT’S MATCHUPS 2025-26 HOOPS – WEEK 12
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