LAKE WALES, Fla. – The NAIA #1 Southeastern Fire swept Warner University this weekend in a 3 game set.
With the 3 wins the Fire advance to 30-3 and the Royals drop to 27-12 but are still in command of their destiny in the TSC, as they have an equally important series about St. Thomas next weekend that will most likely determine who is the #2 seed in the TSC.
GAME 1: SEU 10 – WU 0
The Royal struggled offensively in game one of the series against the Fire.
Xanders Vazquez was one of the bright spots in the lineup as he was 2-4 on the night with two singles.
Rio Russell was responsible for the only other hit by Warner as he hustled to a triple late in the game but was unable to score.
Game 2: SEU 9 – WU 5
Warner struck first blood in the bottom of the 3rd inning plating 3-runs.
Rio Russell singled to left field moving
Xanders Vazquez to second and scoring
Alfred Brown and
Josh Strickland.
Later in the inning
Scott Fickas singled in
Xanders Vazquez to complete the 3-run bottom of the inning.
Anthony Martinez and
Alex Vazquez added late base hit singles for an RBI each but it was not enough to stop the powerful offense of the Fire.
Southeastern took game two by a final score of 9-5.
Game 3: SEU 4 – WU 2
Andres Fernandez took the mound in game 3 of the TSC series and pitched remarkably for 8 innings but a 9
th inning rally by the Fire that saw 4 runs cross the plate was all it took to best the Royals and complete the series sweep.
The Royals scrapped together a couple hits in the 4
th inning and score the 1
st of the game off a
Jan Martinez single up the middle that brought home
Ronny Penalo.
Warner added 1 more in the bottom of the 8
th when
Josh Strickland dropped down a safety squeeze that brought
Scott Fickas home to score.
Warner did at it could to contain the potent Fire offense as long as they could but in the end they were too much for the Royals and sparked a 9
th inning rally that sums up the relentlessness of the team, proving why they are the #1 team in the NAIA.
