Fire Use Big Inning and Stellar Pitching to Sky Past Flying Saints

No. 3 Southeastern Sweeps Saint Joseph (Vt.) in First Doubleheader
LAKELAND, Fla. – On a day where the Fire capitalized on a 12 run inning, as well as a stellar performance on the mound from senior right-handed pitcher Jordan Scott, the No. 3 Southeastern University baseball team took both games of a Friday doubleheader versus the College of Saint Joseph Fighting Saints. The Fire erupted at the plate for a 13-4 win in game one before shutting out CSJ 2-0 in game two.
The Fire struggled offensively out of the gate in game one, being held hitless at the plate through the first three and one thirds frames.
Meanwhile, the Fighting Saints slowly grew a 4-0 lead, bring across a single run in the top of both the second and third innings as well as a pair of runs in the top of the fifth.
The Fire responded by scoring 12 of their 13 runs in the bottom of the fifth inning on eight hits (three home runs) and four errors.
The big inning started with a leadoff solo home run by junior utility man Dan Valerio to left field that but the Fire on the board. The home run was his seventh of the season.
A three-run blast to left by junior catcher Torrence Sumerlin tied things up 4-4, his third long ball of the year.
In the next at-bat, junior outfielder Manuel Mesa belted his sixth home run to center field to put SEU ahead 5-4 over CSJ.
A pair of Fighting Saints’ errors allowed four of the remaining seven Southeastern runs in the inning to score.
The 12 runs scored was the most scored by SEU in a single frame since the Fire brought 15 across the plate in the bottom of the fourth versus then Northwood University on 4/13/13.
Senior righty Jared Crescentini struck out seven in five innings of work, improving to 5-1 on the season.
The Fire did all of their damage in the second game in the bottom of the first, bringing both runs across the plate on wild pitches to go up 2-0.
Scott dominated on the mound in game two, tossing a complete game two-hit shutout, his first shutout of the season. The Liberty transfer struck out a season high 13. Scott did not surrender an extra base hit to the Fighting Saints and sat down seven straight at one point.
“Jordan was extremely efficient on the mound, he was able to locate his slider for a strike which made him very effective,” shared head coach Adrian Dinkel.
The Fire take on the Fighting Saints in another doubleheader Saturday afternoon. Game times are set for Noon and 3 p.m.