Fire Best Barons in First of Two Weekend Doubleheaders

No. 4 Southeastern Takes Care of Brewton-Parker in Opening Two Game Set
BARTOW, Fla. – The No. 4 Southeastern University baseball team opened up a four-game slate versus the Brewton-Parker College Barons with a doubleheader sweep on Friday afternoon. The Fire edged the Barons 3-2 in the opening game before throttling BPC 8-1 in game two.
For the third consecutive game in 2018, the Fire found themselves in a first inning deficit. Junior lefty Jonathan Bermudez surrendered a pair of runs in the top of the first.
After a shaky opening frame, Bermudez responded by tossing three scoreless frames. The Polk State transfer struck out six, including a strikeout of the side in the top of the third, in the next three innings on his way to eventually earning the win.
Bermudez had the opportunity to earn the winning decision thanks to the bat of junior first baseman Nick Bottari. The Wading River, New York native belted a three run shot to left center that put the Fire up 3-2.
Junior right handed pitcher Heibert Romero turned in an extremely efficient relief effort to preserve the SEU victory. Romero hurled three innings of no-hit baseball in which he only needed 14 pitches to earn his first save of the season.
In game two of the doubleheader, the Fire did something they had not done yet in 2018, strike first. With two outs in the bottom of the first, junior outfielder Marvin Malone launched a solo shot to left center field that put SEU up 1-0.
Southeastern turned in its most productive offensive frame in the bottom of the second, scoring four runs on five hits. Junior utility man Adam De La Cruz opened up the scoring with an RBI single that brought home Dan Valerio and advanced Ivan Nunez to third.
Senior catcher Marcus Stump drove Valerio and Nunez home with a double down the left field line to put the Fire up 4-1. Junior outfielder Manuel Mesa capped off the productive inning with an RBI single down the right field line.
The Barons scored their lone run of the contest on an RBI single in the top of the fourth,
The Fire tacked on three more runs in the next two innings via the long ball. In the bottom of the fifth, Valerio smashed one over the left field fence to give the Fire a 6-1 advantage.
Through the first four games of the season, Valerio is hitting .571 at the plate (8-14) with eight runs batted in.
In the bottom of the sixth, Bottari hit his second homer of the day, this one a two-run no doubter to left field that concluded the SEU scoring on the day.
Senior righty Jared Crescentini earned the win on the mound, going six innings with no earned runs allowed and five strikeouts.
The Fire look to sweep the Barons Saturday, as they take on Brewton-Parker in another doubleheader at Bartow High School. Game times are set for 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.