CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Florida Atlantic University baseball led Charlotte heading into the sixth inning of each seven-inning doubleheader game Saturday, and in each, the 49ers scored in their final at-bat to sweep the twinbill at Hayes Stadium.
In the opener, a pinch-hit, two-out grand slam by Nicholas Toney in the sixth brought the Owls (15-12, 4-3 Conference USA) all the way back from a 7-1 deficit to take an 8-7 lead. But Charlotte (17-9, 6-1 C-USA) tied it in the bottom half and won it in the eighth on a walkoff single with the bases loaded.
Then in the nightcap, Charlotte scored in the sixth to tie, and did so again with two outs in the bottom of the seventh for the day’s second consecutive walkoff and one-run win.
Quotable
Head Coach John McCormack:
“That’s as tough a day as I’ve had in an FAU uniform in a long time. The guys played really well, it was a really good day of baseball on both sides. But credit to Charlotte, being the home team really helps. Our guys kept grinding, we’ve just got to pitch better and do some little things a little bit better to get over the hump. But I’m proud of them, and we’ll be back at it tomorrow.”
Game One
The Beginning
The 49ers scored five times in the bottom of the fourth to take a 7-1 lead, but a tape-measure home run by Jackson Wenstrom in the fifth cut the deficit to a more manageable 7-3.
The Turning Point
In the top of the sixth, Mitchell Hartigan led off with a double and scored on a B.J. Murray single. The Owls loaded the bases as Caleb Pendleton was hit by a pitch and Bobby Morgensen singled. Then with two outs, Toney was called off the bench and delivered, with the Owls’ fifth grand slam of the year, for the lead.
The Finish
Charlotte almost immediately tied it, on a two-out single in their next turn. Both teams were held off the board in the seventh, and two Owls were stranded in the eighth. A walk, single and error loaded the bases for the 49ers, and one out later, Carson Johnson’s fifth hit of game one scored the winning run.
The Arms
- Dante Visconti started and had three strikeouts in 3 2/3
- Pitching a 1-2-3 fifth was Brock Helverson
- Braden Ostrander (1-1) took the loss
- Pendleton caught two Charlotte baserunners stealing, and a third 49er was thrown out trying to steal home
The Bats
- Murray was 2-for-4, including a solo homer in the second, and his RBI single in the sixth. He also scored twice
- That was his sixth home run, while Wenstrom and Toney each hit their fifth
- According to the TrackMan system at Hayes Stadium, Wenstrom’s blast was 109 MPH off the bat and traveled 447 feet. It landed on a road, on the fly, beyond the rightfield fence
Game Two
The Beginning
Hartigan and Murray each had solo shots in the first, but Charlotte answered with a run in the bottom half. Each team scored twice as well in the fourth, with FAU’s runs coming on a Jared DeSantolo RBI groundout and a two-out single by Sam Low.
The Turning Point / The Finish
The 49ers, in the sixth, had their first two runners retired, but a HBP, stolen base and two-out single knotted the game at 4-4. The seventh was more of the same: two quick outs, but then a walk, stolen base, and another walk, before the winning baseknock.
The Arms
- Matt Sparling returned to the rotation and pitched into the fourth inning
- Mike Entenza got a huge double play to end that inning and keep the lead. In fact, the FAU defense had twin killings to end the third, fourth and fifth
- The third was an incredible leaping catch at the wall by Wenstrom, and his throw to the infield, and Sam Low’s relay, finished the frame (shown below)
- Entenza (2-2) gave up only two hits and two runs in a season-long 3 1/3-inning outing
Need to see this on top 10 tomorrow morning @SportsCenter @FAUBaseball @FAUAthletics pic.twitter.com/cjzJATgRvJ— Nick Swan (@Nick_Swan11) April 3, 2021
The Bats
- Murray homered for the third straight game and for the sixth time this season, tying for the team lead
- Hartigan’s blast was his second of the year
- Morgensen had two of the team’s six hits in game two, a single and a double
What’s Next
The Sunday finale between the Owls and 49ers commences at 1 p.m. from Hayes Stadium.
