THOMASVILLE, Ga. – The Thomas University baseball team was unable to overcome miscues in both games, as the #1 Fire roasted the Night Hawks 10-0 in seven innings in Game Two of the series before Southeastern completed its sweep of the Green & White in Game Three with an 8-5 win Sunday at Varnedoe Stadium.
 
Game Two (#1 SEU 10, TU 0 – 7 inn.)
For the first time in the Tom Fleenor era, TU (13-15, 0-9 SUN) was a part of a multi-day contest after heavy weather on Friday halted the game midway through the fourth inning, forcing the contest's continuation Sunday afternoon with Thomas trailing the Fire 7-0. 
 
A new day meant new faces, as the Night Hawks made a few substitutions to start the fifth inning with Sophomore William Martinez and Redshirt Junior Chandler Skelly entering the game.  Included in the substitutions was the pitching change, as Freshman Right-Hander Brandon Steele took the mound.  The Ocoee, Fla. finished the day pitching two innings, allowing one earned run in two hits with one strikeout.
 
SEU's Sam Faith would extend the Fire lead on a solo blast in the sixth inning (8-0) before back-to-back RBIs in the seventh would ultimately secure the 10-0 win for Southeastern.     
 
 
Game Three (#1 SEU 8, TU 5)
Thomas was on the brink of yet another late comeback run, but for the second, straight Sunday afternoon, a grounder-turned double play in the bottom of the ninth would dash all hopes of a possible upset.
 
The Green & White finished Game Three with five hits while allowing Southeastern seven.
 
TU struggled out of the gate, as the Fire began with a blazing 6-0 lead in the first inning that was highlighted by a pair of Night Hawks errors.  Southeastern would return the courtesy in the inning's bottom half, leading to a pair of Green & White scores to cut the deficit to four runs after one inning played (6-2).
 
After TU's starting pitcher Dustin Letchworth (2-3) was pulled in tfavor of Freshman Right-Hander Zachary Buelk in the first inning, the Fire's fortune of good luck appeared to take a drastic turn.  In just 36 pitches, the native of Wesley Chapel, Fla. allowed no runs with two hits while fanning four in a span of 3.1 innings pitched, setting up an opportunity for TU to close the gap on the scoring difference.
 
With one out in the fourth inning, Freshman Khadin Bastian delivered a double to left field that brought home Freshman Michael Sowers before Sophomore Turner Maddox followed the at-bat with a 2RBI triple that trimmed the Fire's lead to one run (6-5).  Redshirt Junior Anthony Dorak was walked before the Clermont, Fla. native stole second to set up a potential go-ahead scenario before back-to-back strikeouts stumped Thomas' efforts, leaving two men on base.
 
Thomas gambled in the top of the fifth, replacing Buelk with Redshirt Junior Andy Allison in an effort to maintain the Fire's hitting attack.  The pitching change gave SEU new life, beginning the inning with back-to-back doubles that put runners on second and third to set up a Faith sacrifice fly, giving the Fire a 7-5 advantage.  Southeastern would add another run in the sixth off an Allison wild pitch to build its lead back to three (8-5).
 
Following a walk by SEU's Luis Cabrera on the following at-bat, Redshirt Senior Left-Hander Dillon Rutland made his appearance in the series, allowing one walk with no runs or hits allowed in two and one-third innings pitched.  Freshman Left-Hander Tyler Baker finished up pitching duties in the ninth, forcing a 1-2-3 on Southeastern.
 
Freshman Matthew Delay Jr. began the bottom of the ninth with a leadoff bunt before Bastian followed to reach base.  With runners on first and second, a Maddox line drive to second would halt any TU advance.  Dorak followed as the tying at-bat, but a grounder to shortstop set up a game-ending double play that allowed the Fire to escape with an 8-5 win and the series sweep over the Night Hawks.
 
TU by the Numbers
2:        Earned runs allowed
7:        Different TU pitchers on the mound on the day
18:      Consecutive games with a Turner Maddox hit
22:      Different Night Hawks on the field on the day
101:    Total games for Head Coach Tom Fleenor
 
Thomas will have a quick turnaround Tuesday, hosting Trinity Baptist for a doubleheader to complete a home-and-home.  First pitch at Varnedoe Stadium is set for 3 p.m.
 
For up-to-date information on this series and other TU Athletics, visit www.TUNightHawks.com.  Stay up-to-date with news, scores, photos, game summaries, and feature stories of your TU baseball team by following them via Twitter at @NightHawksBaseba.