Fire Baseball Defeats Thomas in Back-and-Forth Game

LAKELAND, Fla.—A three-run seventh and a key defensive play helped the Southeastern University baseball team defeat Thomas in a 6-5 game.
Dominic Anagnos’ third home run of the season to lead off the seventh broke a 3-3 tie, and gave Southeastern its first lead since Manuel Mesa’s solo homer to lead off the bottom of the first. Willie Estrada made it 5-3 with an RBI double to score Colton Onstott who was 2-for-3, and Adam De La Cruz increased the lead to three with a two-out RBI single.
The Night Hawks got one back in the eighth on a two-out RBI single to short, and in the ninth, had runners at second and third with nobody out. A sacrifice fly cut the lead down to one, and the first batter Heibert Romero faced hit a fly ball to right field to try to tie the game. After making the catch, Abdel Guadalupe fired the ball home where the would-be tying run was tagged out to end the game.
Heading to the bottom of the third, the Fire trailed 2-1 but tied the game on an RBI groundout by De La Cruz. The Night Hawks regained the lead in the top of the sixth on a leadoff home run.
The key moment for Southeastern may have come in the bottom of the sixth with two outs and the bases empty when a fly ball which would have ended the inning came out of the left fielder’s glove and allowed Dan Valerio to reach second base. Guadalupe singled during the next at bat to tie the game.
Kyle Wilson picked up his sixth win of the year, tossing 2.1 innings in relief of Keven Long. Wilson allowed one earned on four hits, struck out one and walked one. Long, on short rest, worked the first six innings, allowing three runs on seven hits and struck out five with two walks.
Romero earned his fifth save of the season, facing one batter and getting two outs.
The two teams will play a doubleheader on Saturday to close out the 2019 regular season.