BOCA RATON, Fla. – Florida Atlantic University’s baseball team needed each of their 14 hits and 15 runs to down Fordham 15-10 on Saturday evening. The win secures the series for the Owls, who have won each of the first three weekend series in 2022.
The win moves the Owls’ record to 8-4 on the year, while the Rams fall to 2-8. The two teams will close out the three-game set on Sunday at noon. The FAU baseball concession stand will offer a specialty item as part of the national Oreo Cookie Day celebration.
QUOTABLEHead Coach John McCormack on the team’s two-out success
“We were able to get some two-out hits, scoring six runs with two outs. We are pretty good at that, or have been so far, this year. But we have to be better. We walked six and hit three and didn’t complete a double play early in the game that could have gotten us out of an inning.”
THE BEGINNINGFordham got on the scoreboard in the top of the third breaking open a scoreless game through two. Nolan Schanuel hit a two-out, two RBI home run to right field scoring Armando Albert, who had walked and stole second. Both Jackson Ross and Seven Loden followed with singles and advanced to second and third on a wild pitch, The duo was driven in on a Caleb Pendleton double to rightfield, giving the Owls the 4-3 lead through three innings of play.
THE TURNING POINTFAU added three in the fourth, saw Fordham pull within one, at 7-6, after six and a half innings of play. The Owls responded with two in the bottom of the six and five in the bottom of the seventh for a 14-6 lead with two innings left to play.
THE FINISHBoth teams would add runs in the eighth for a 15-9 score heading to the ninth. Replacements took to the field for both squads, but the game was far from over or out of reach. The Rams scored three runs in the top of the ninth and had the game’s tying run on deck with two outs when FAU went to the pen for Max Martzolf, who struck out the final batter. With a five-run lead, Martzolf earned the Owls’ unlikely first save of 2022.
THE ARMS
- Tibur Rivero started the game and moved to 2-0 on the year after five innings of work. Rivero scattered five runs, on three hits, struck out four and walked three
- Evan Watebor got three innings of work, allowing two runs on three hits and striking out two
- In the last frame, Dawson Ball appeared in his first college game, allowing two runs on three hits and three walks. He struck out one
- Martzolf record the final out to earn the save
THE BATS
- The Owls tallied double-digit hits for the eighth time in 12 games and were led by Loden (3-for-4) and Schanuel (3-for-5) who both tallied three hits
- Gabriel Rincones, Jr and Ross were both 2-for-5 on the day. Rincones, who had a game high four RBI, scored three times while Ross scored twice
- Pendleton had three RBI while Schanuel and Loden added two each
- Doubles were hit by Rincones, Schanuel, Ross and Pendleton
- Schanuel tallied his second home run of the season
WHAT’S NEXTThe Owls will continue their long stretch, playing 13 games in 18 days, with the two teams returning to the field for the final game of the series. Tyler Burnham is expected to start for the Owls.
FAU also has added a game. On Tuesday, March 8th the Owls will play Seton Hall at 3 p.m. The game will be played at Centennial Park in Port Charlotte.
FOR SEASON TICKETSTo purchase FAU tickets, call 1-866-FAU-OWLS or click HERE. Stay informed by reading FAUSports.com, or through the baseball’s Twitter and Instagram accounts @FAUBaseball.
