Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 LAKELAND, Fla. – The Golden Eagles were handed a tough task on Tuesday afternoon taking on the number three team in the country and 18-0 Southeastern Fire. CU hung around early in both games but would fall 13-4 in game one, and 16-3 in game two. Cornerstone is now 1-5 on the year as they continue the Russ Matt Invitational tomorrow at Chain O' Lakes Stadium where they will face UM-Dearborn in a non-conference game and (8) Keiser. 

Game One – (3) Southeastern – 13 Cornerstone - 4

• Freshman Alex Hayward was given his first start in the early season, and was given a tough task with the number three team in the country. Hayward struggled early as a blooper double came around to score for the first run. Two more runs scored on a sacrifice fly and a wild pitch to make it 3-0 after one inning. 
• Hayward then settled in the next inning, but a wild pitch in the third would again allow a Fire runner to score making it 4-0. 
• Southeastern struggled defensively all day, and CU took advantage in the fourth inning as Jordan Wenzel who got on via an error came around to score on a Jake Collins single through the left side. 
• Southeastern started to get to Cornerstone more regularly later in the game as four consecutive singles in the fifth gave them two more and pushed their advantage to 6-1. 
• Luis Cabrera capped off the four consecutive singles with the first home run of the day, a three-run shot to left center that blew the score open at 9-1. 
• Cornerstone got one back in the top of the sixth, as Austin Hurt singled and advanced to third on two wild pitches and later scored on an Isaac Tayes sacrifice fly, 9-2. 
• Jared Riley relieved Alex Hayward in the sixth and continued to struggle to throw strikes, walking the bases loaded. He was punished later by Brian Fuentes hitting a grand slam to make it 13-2. This marks the third consecutive game that Cornerstone has given up a grand slam. 
• In the seventh, Grant Young hit his first home run as a Golden Eagle with a two-run shot to left field that scored Daniel Freeman to bring the deficit back to nine. 
• That would be all the closer that CU would get as the Golden Eagles fell 13-4 in game one to (3) Southeastern.

 
Game Two – (3) Southeastern – 16 Cornerstone – 3

• Just like in game one, Cornerstone struggled in the first inning as three runs scored off starter Josiah Stairs on an Isaac Nunez three RBI double. 
• After singles from Isaac Tayes, Daniel Freeman, and Grant Young loaded the bases in the top of the second, Lucas Vega walked to score the first CU run and cut the deficit to 3-1.
• In the bottom of the second, Southeastern hit their second grand slam of the day as Gary Lora hit one deep to open the lead up, 7-1.
• Jordan Wenzel responded with a HR of his own, his first of the year, in the top of the third over the left field fence to lead-off the top of the third. 
• Josiah Stairs rebounded nicely in the bottom of the third inning on the mound, using a great pick off move to get the first out and get out of the inning with no damage done. 
• Errors and walks cost the Golden Eagles in the bottom of the fourth as Southeastern added four runs and forced Stairs to exit. Ben Barnes came in and got out of the jam as CU trailed 11-2. 
• A single from Lucas Vega and walk from Jordan Wenzel allowed Jake Collins to get another RBI knock on the day in the fifth and make it 11-3. 
• Southeastern started to make subs in the fifth inning but they still continued to hit as Jose Ortiz hit an RBI double to increase the lead back to 12-3. 
• The Fire continued to score winning game two, 16-3.

 
By the Numbers:
4 – Cornerstone has hit their fair share of HR's in the early season, but have also struggled to avoid giving them up as opponents have hit a grand slam in each of the last four contests vs. CU. 
2/1 – Grant Young led the team in game one with two RBI, getting both on his first career home run as a Golden Eagle. 
7 – Cornerstone recorded seven hits in game two by seven different players for a balanced approach at the plate. 
 
What's Next?
Cornerstone will play a split double-header tomorrow at Chain O' Lakes Stadium with UM-Dearborn in the first game at 10 a.m. for a seven-inning contest and (8) Keiser in game two at 5 p.m. for nine innings.  

Baseball Contact: Jesse Campbell 
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