No. 4 Southeastern Finishes First Week of 2018 6-0
BARTOW, Fla.- The No. 4 Southeastern University baseball team completed a perfect sweep of its opening week of play, as the Fire took both games of today’s doubleheader versus the Brewton-Parker College Barons. SEU earned the 5-2 victory in game one before completing the sweep with the 6-2 win in the second game.
The Fire found themselves in what has become familiar territory thus far in 2018, facing a first inning deficit. The Barons struck first in the opening inning via an RBI single to go up 1-0.
After allowing the first two BPC batters to reach on base hits, senior right-handed pitcher Jordan Scott settled in and struck out the next three Barons to retire the side.
Scott went on to register a dynamic performance in his SEU debut, fanning eight batters in four innings of work, walking only one, and eventually earning the win.
Southeastern took advantage of some Brewton-Parker miscues in the bottom of the third to get on the board. Junior first baseman Nick Bottari crossed the plate on a bases loaded throwing error off a grounder by the BPC pitcher. A wild pitch later in the frame allowed junior Manuel Mesa to come home and gave the Fire a 2-1 lead.
Bottari recorded the only RBI of the game for SEU in the bottom of the fourth, singling home Dominic Anagnos. Bottari and Jett Swetland each crossed the plate later in the inning off a wild pitch and passed ball respectively to put the Fire up 5-1.
The Barons threatened in the top of the seventh, scratching a run across to cut into the Southeastern lead. However, senior righty Dylan Drawdy ended the BPC rally with a two-out strikeout.
For the fifth time in their first six games, the Fire had to battle from behind early, surrendering a Brewton-Parker run in the top of the first in game two of the doubleheader.
This time, the Fire responded immediately in the form of a two-run missile over the left center fence off the bat of junior outfielder Marvin Malone. The homer was his third of the season and put SEU up 2-1.
The Barons tied things up in the top of the second with an RBI single that was allowed due to an inning opening Southeastern error.
SEU broke the stalemate in the bottom of the third thanks to the bats of Malone and Bottari. Malone doubled home Anagnas and Adam De La Cruz before Bottari slashed one down the left field line that brought Malone and Anagnos across the plate.
Bottari turned in an electrifying opening week at the plate for the Fire. The Wading River, N.Y. native hit an astounding .733 at the plate this week (11-15), belted three homers, drove in 11 runs, and never struck out.
“The best thing that I’ve done over the last few games that I didn’t do as much in my previous years is simplified my swing…I’m just trying to look at each scenario and do the job I’m presented with, and if something better happens than what my job is then the that’s even better for the team,” shared Bottari.
Junior southpaw Felix Dieguez earned the victory on the mound in game two, tossing four frames, allowing two unearned runs, walking one, and fanning eight Barons.
“Any time you can go 6-0 in a season you are going to be excited. Especially with as many different guys we are playing at this point…We’ve made a lot of mistakes but that’s part of early season baseball,” shared Head Coach Adrian Dinkel.
The Fire are back in action this Tuesday as they host the Ave Maria University Gyrenes in a non-conference doubleheader. Location is to be determined and game times are set for 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.