| 2/23/2025 | Baseball | Box Score BOCA RATON, Fla. – Florida Atlantic baseball tasted defeat for the first time this season on Sunday. The Owls fell to 6-1 after a 5-3, 10-inning loss to UConn (1-5). THE BEGINNING After the teams combined for 42 runs in Saturday’s matchup, both pitching staffs were able to right the ship on Sunday. Hits and runs were hard to come by in the early going. FAU freshman James Litman and Huskies’ starter Tommy Ellisen kept the game scoreless until the fifth inning. The Owls loaded the bases with no outs in the fifth and Jake Duer delivered a sacrifice fly to open the scoring. UConn tied the game in the seventh, though Steven Andrews was able to limit the damage with a double play and a groundout. THE TURNING POINT Marshall Lipsey put the Owls on top again in the seventh with a two-run homer. Again, though, UConn tied the game in the ensuing frame, this time with a two-run HR of their own. THE FINISH Extra innings were required, and UConn’s Ryan Daniels tagged FAU’s MJ Bollinger for another two-run homer. The Owls put a runner on in the bottom of the 10th but could not cash in. THE BATS Lipsey reached base four times with two walks and a hit by pitch in addition to his second home run in as many days Duer singled twice and finished the three-game series 10-for-14 at the plate THE ARMS Litman was lifted with two outs in the fifth inning on a pitch count He struck out two and walked one in his second consecutive scoreless outing Braden Ostrander finished the fifth and worked a clean sixth inning Andrews followed Carter Holjes out of the bullpen in the seventh He recorded the first two outs of the eighth before giving way to Bollinger QUOTABLE Head coach John McCormack “I think if you asked anybody prior to last weekend if you go 6-1… beat Miami and take two of three from UConn… everyone would’ve signed up for that. It’s just that when you get to this point with a chance to sweep and don’t do it. The guys fought. We just have to be able to close the door when we have a late lead like that.” WHAT’S NEXT The Owls hit the road for the first time on Tuesday for a midweek matchup against UCF in Orlando. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. |
