| 5/10/2025 | Baseball | Box Score BOCA RATON, Fla. – Florida Atlantic baseball let a two-run lead slip away in the eighth inning and eventually fell by a 9-4 final to USF on Saturday afternoon. The Bulls (27-21, 14-9) are now two games ahead of the Owls (32-18, 12-11) in the American Athletic Conference standings. THE BEGINNING USF scored a run in the first inning after a leadoff walk and a double. In the second, freshman starter Nick Wimberly hit the first two batters of the frame. Zach Kilby entered in relief and followed suit, plunking the first batter he faced. But Kilby would bear down from that point forward. Despite the bases being loaded with no outs, an RBI groundout accounted for the only run of the inning. The FAU offense took charge in the ensuing half inning. Base hits by Ayden Garcia and Brando Leroux set the table for a three-run frame. A two-out line drive single up the middle off the bat of Marshall Lipsey scored two to put the Owls ahead 3-2. Florida Atlantic would tack on one more in the third on an RBI single by Garcia. TURNING POINT The 4-2 score would hold all the way into the eighth inning. USF tagged Steven Andrews for two runs on two hits and a walk to tie the game. In the ninth, Carter Holjes walked the first two batters of the inning before giving way to Max Martzolf. USF’s Carlos Jacome dropped down a bunt, and Martzolf’s throw to first sailed wide of first base. Two runs scored, and Jacome was in scoring position at second. The Bulls would add three more runs on another single, another Owls’ throwing error, and two sacrifice flies. Despite a leadoff hit-by-pitch, a 9-4 deficit was too much for the Owls to overcome in the bottom of the ninth. THE BATS Florida Atlantic out-hit USF 10-9. Lipsey finished the day 3-for-5 with three singles. Nick Romano singled and recorded the first triple of his FAU career. Garcia finished 2-for-4 with a pair of singles. THE ARMS Kilby pitched 4.1 scoreless innings with four hits and one walk allowed. He struck out three. Dawson Ball got all three outs in the ninth, including one strikeout. QUOTABLE Head coach John McCormack “They put pressure on us, and we didn’t respond. We went six innings without scoring, and then we just kept compounding problems there in the ninth. We’ve got to do something tomorrow. We have to come out ready to play. I don’t like using “must-win,” but I think we’re in that territory.” WHAT’S NEXT The Owls will try to salvage the series on Sunday with first pitch scheduled for noon on ESPN+. |
