| 3/5/2025 | Baseball | Box Score GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Florida Atlantic baseball brought the tying to the plate in the ninth inning, but was unable to score the equalizer and dropped a narrow, 4-2 defeat at No. 7 Florida Wednesday at Condron Family Ballpark in Gainesville, Fla. The Owls (10-2) had their chances late, trimming the deficit to 3-2 in seventh and leaving the tying run on base in both the seventh and eighth innings. The Gators improved to 12-2 with the victory. THE BEGINNING Florida scored a run in each of the first two innings, but FAU starter Zach Kilby limited the damage. The Gators added a solo home run from Blake Cyr in the fourth to lead 3-0. The Owls chipped away in the middle innings. Danny Baez led off with a double in the sixth and eventually scored on a ground out. In the seventh, Nick Romano drew a leadoff walk, moved to second on a wild pitch, and scored on an infield throwing error by the hosts. THE TURNING POINT Brody Donay lined an opposite-field solo home run in the eighth inning to give the Gators some breathing room. Romano drew a leadoff walk in the top of the ninth to bring the tying run to the plate, but the Owls were retired in order after that to end the game. THE BATS The FAU offense put the leadoff man on in six of the nine innings but ultimately finished 0-for-12 with runners in scoring position. Baez’s double was the Owls’ lone extra-base hit. THE ARMS Kilby went four innings and allowed three runs on four hits. Carter Holjes was first out of the bullpen and contributed two scoreless innings. Steven Andrews entered with two runners on in the seventh but induced a ground out followed by a double play to escape the inning. Florida out-hit the Owls 7-5. The Gators were 2-for-6 with runners in scoring position. QUOTABLE Head coach John McCormack “It was a good baseball game. They pitched well; we pitched well. You just have to be able to get hits when the opportunities present themselves. Credit to their pitchers, but we had too many opportunities where things could have gone differently if we put together a good at-bat.” WHAT’S NEXT The Owls open a three-game home-and-home series with FIU on Friday night in Miami at 6:30 p.m. Saturday’s middle game will be in Boca at 4 p.m. before the finale shifts back to Miami on Sunday at noon. |
