SAN ANTONIO, Texas – Florida Atlantic baseball dropped both legs of a doubleheader against UTSA on Sunday to fall to 12-9 overall. The game one final was 7-2 and the series finale went the way of the Roadrunners by a 5-3 score.
Doubleheader Game One
The FAU offense could not get off the ground against UTSA starter Ulises Quiroga in the morning game. The junior racked up nine strikeouts in 6.1 innings. The Owls managed just five hits, four of which came from Caleb Pendleton and Dylan Goldstein.
Down 4-0 at the time, it was that combination of Goldstein and Pendleton that broke the goose egg in the fourth inning. Goldstein led off with a single and scored on a double into the left field corner by Pendleton.
UTSA scored three in the fifth inning to break the game open. The Owls chipped away with a sacrifice fly in the seventh but the comeback ended there.
Doubleheader Game Two
The start to game two appeared to be just what the Owls were looking for. Nolan Schanuel connected for a two-run home run to the deepest part of the park in center in the top of the first. It was 2-0 FAU. Or was it? The home plate umpire called attention to the bat Schanuel used and after inspection, deemed it illegal. The bat did not have the required approval sticker on it. Schanuel was called out and the score was back to 0-0.
UTSA immediately responded with two solo home runs in the bottom of the first. The Owls played catchup the rest of the day. An RBI single by Daulton Frank made it 2-1 in the fourth but the Roadrunners came back with two runs in the next half inning.
Schanuel doubled in the top of the fifth to score Armando Albert but again, UTSA regained its three-run lead with an RBI double at the next opportunity.
Facing a 5-2 deficit entering the seventh inning, the Owls got a leadoff single from Albert and a double by Mitchell Hartigan to cut it to 5-3. UTSA reliever Daniel Shafer was able to retire the next three in order however to close it out.
The Owls will look to get back on track on Wednesday when they travel to Coral Gables to face Miami. C-USA play resumes next Friday at home against Middle Tennessee.
