Game Information
Score: Keiser 9, Southeastern 4
Records: No. 5 Keiser (39-17), No. 8 Southeastern (47-9)
Location: Fort Myers, Fla.
Venue: City of Palms Park
Duration of Game: 2:50
Weather: 75 and clear skies
                                                         

Keiser Highlights

• Keiser claimed its fourth consecutive victory in the Sun Conference Tournament, defeating Southeastern 9-4 to force a winner-take-all championship game.
• Keivan Berges and Carlos Pena finished the contest with three hits apiece, combining for five runs batted in, two runs scored and one homerun.
• Jack Curtis finished the game with two RBIs on one base hit, picking up where he left off yesterday after belting the first walk-off homerun in TSC postseason history.
• Berges notched win number three on the mound, pitching eight innings of work, yielding just two runs and striking out nine batters.

 
Turning Point
Keivan Berges proved to be the turning point in the first game of championship Monday, getting things done on the mound and at the plate. Berges threw eight innings of work, striking out a season-high nine batters which matched a career-best for the Florida native. Berges finished 3-5 at the plate with one homerun and two RBIs to lead Keiser to the second championship game.
 

How it Happened

• The Seahawks held the Fire off the board in the top of the first inning, stranding Marcus Stump at third following Derek Martin's inning-ending fly ball to Reyni Olivero in right field.
• Keiser jumped on the board in the bottom of the first inning, scoring two runs on back-to-back bases-loaded walks.
• The Seahawks then left the bases juiced as Dylan Dore and Miguel Casanueva struck out to end the inning, but not before Keiser walked away with the 2-0 advantage.
• The top of the third was highlighted by great defensive plays from the Seahawks including a double play by Olivero and a diving catch at the hot corner by Jack Curtis to end the inning.
• Keiser plated another run in the bottom of the third inning as Carlos Pena laced a single to left field, bringing Tyler Hitt in to score from second for the 3-0 lead.
• Southeastern trimmed the Keiser lead down to two in the top of the fourth inning after Angel Garced singled up the middle to bring home Kianalu Pitoy from second.
• Dore made a strong throw from center to third to cut down Marcus Guzman to end the Southeastern inning, preserving the 3-1 lead.
• Keiser stretched its lead to four runs in the bottom of the fourth inning as Berges blasted a two-run homerun over the left field fence and was met by a mob of teammates at home plate as the Seahawks found themselves ahead 5-1.
• Berges proved to get things done defensively as well, making a behind-the-back snag on a grounder up the middle, flipping the ball to first for the first out in the top of the sixth inning.
• Keiser added three insurance runs in the bottom of the seventh inning, beginning with Pena's RBI double off the left field wall to bring Hitt in from second.
• Dore plated the seventh Keiser run of the game with a single to left field, plating Curtis and putting Pena on third with nobody out.
• The final Keiser run of the frame came from the perfect squeeze bunt laid down by Casanueva, bringing home Pena from third for the 8-1 lead.
• Southeastern scored one run in the top of the eighth inning off the Mike D'Acunti single to left field, bringing home the speedy Luis Diaz from second.
• The Seahawks earned the run back in the bottom of the eighth following Curtis' deep double off the left center wall, plating Hitt from second for the 9-2 lead.
• The Fire scored two runs on four hits in the final inning of play to trim the Keiser lead down to 9-4.

Up Next
The Seahawks will be back in action shortly in the Sun Conference Championship game two, winner-take-all against the Fire of Southeastern.