LEWISTON, Idaho- Southeastern (Fla.) survived a momentum-swinging contest on  Saturday morning at Harris Field, edging Johnson (Tenn.) 14-13 in Lewiston, Idaho. The Royals mounted a comeback in the bottom of the ninth with a three-run rally, but fell just short of completing it.

Johnson landed first and controlled the early innings, scoring in each of the first three frames to build a 3-0 lead. Izaak Fernandez opened the scoring with an RBI single in the first, Edwin Olmeda Jr. added a sacrifice fly in the second, and Travis Hobbensiefken’s RBI double in the third made it three straight innings with a run.

The Fire answered in the third and then flipped the game with a decisive fourth. Nathanial Hopkins started the rally with an RBI double, Armani Cozza followed with an RBI single, and the fourth inning turned into a six-run outburst. Cort Pryor’s RBI double tied it, Braden Bartholomae put Southeastern in front with an RBI single, Hopkins delivered a two-run double, and Cozza capped the inning with a two-run homer to push the lead to 8-3.

Johnson continued its fight. After scratching a run in the fifth, the Royals erupted for six in the sixth to reclaim the lead, highlighted by Fernandez’s three-run homer that vaulted Johnson ahead 10-8. Fernandez finished with 5 RBIs (2-for-5 with a homer), while Hobbensiefken (3-for-4 with two doubles) and Christian Altamirano (2-for-4) kept pressure on the Southeastern staff throughout the afternoon. 

Southeastern struck back immediately in the bottom of the sixth with five runs to surge back in front 13-10. Cade Parry’s two-run single was the biggest hit of the inning, and Brock McMullen’s bases-loaded walk added another as Southeastern took advantage of a Johnson fielding error. 

Bartholomae provided a crucial insurance run in the eighth with a solo homer to center, stretching the margin to 14-10. That cushion mattered when the Royals charged in the bottom of the ninth. Altamirano crushed a three-run homer down the left-field line to pull within 14-13, but SEU's Blake Albritton closed it out to earn the save.

The Fire piled up 15 hits, led by Hopkins (4-for-4 with two doubles and 3 RBIs) and Cozza (4-for-6 with a homer and 3 RBIs). Bartholomae added three hits and two RBIs, including the late home run. Peyten Czekalewski (5-0) was credited with the win on the mound.