| 5/21/2025 | Baseball | Box Score CLEARWATER, Fla. – Florida Atlantic baseball homered four times on Wednesday in an 8-6 win over Rice at the American Athletic Conference Tournament. The Owls (37-20) eliminated Rice (17-40) and will face either No. 1 seed UTSA or a rematch with No. 5 seed Tulane on Friday, May 23. THE BEGINNING Freshman Nick Wimberly made the start on the mound for FAU and conceded one run in an arduous first inning. Wimberly avoided disaster, however, by inducing a 1-2-3 double play with the bases loaded to escape the jam. Rice pushed across another run in the second inning on a wild pitch. After a solo home run and an RBI double in the fourth inning put Rice ahead 4-0, the Florida Atlantic offense showed signs of life in the bottom of the frame. Back-to-back two-out walks brought John Martinez to the plate. The redshirt freshman’s deep fly ball to the track in centerfield was dropped by Rice’s Colin Robson. Two runs scored on the play. The next pitch was launched into the left field bullpen by John Schroeder. It was the Owls’ first hit of the day, tying the game at four THE TURNING POINT FAU’s next two hits were also home runs. Schroeder went deep again in his next at-bat in the sixth inning, and Carter Brady blasted a solo shot in the seventh to make it 6-4. Rice rallied in the eighth with two singles and an FAU error to level the score at six. Florida Atlantic would take the lead for good in the ensuing half inning. After a one-out single by Nick Romano, Brando Leroux connected for his fifth home run of the season and the Owls’ fourth home run of the day to push the lead back to two, 8-6. THE FINISH MJ Bollinger pitched around a walk and a hit-by-pitch in the top of the ninth to lock down the victory. THE BATS The Owls finished with eight hits, half of which were home runs Schroeder’s two home runs were his 16th and 17th of the season. He now has 34 for his career to move into ninth in program history. Brady has homered in three of the last five games. Leroux’s home run was his fifth of the season. THE ARMS Zach Kilby followed Wimberly out of the bullpen and allowed two runs in two innings. Carter Holjes held Rice scoreless in the fifth and sixth innings.Steven Andrews allowed two unearned runs in an inning and a third. Bollinger was credited with his third win of the season. He allowed one hit, walked two, and struck out three in an inning and two-thirds. QUOTABLE Postgame with @FAUCoachMac #WIP pic.twitter.com/LVUdlFeZNZ– Florida Atlantic Baseball (@FAUBaseball) May 21, 2025 WHAT’S NEXT The Owls will have Thursday, May 22, off before another elimination game on Friday, May 23, at 1 p.m. They’ll face the loser of game seven between UTSA and Tulane. That game will be played at 1 p.m. on Thursday. |
