TAMPA, Fla. –Hunter Cooley had a dominant seven-inning shutout performance in leading Florida Atlantic University baseball to a Friday night victory over USF in the series-opening game between the two teams, 5-1.
QuotableHead Coach John McCormack:
“Hunter Cooley was fabulous, probably his best outing in an FAU uniform. We got just enough offense, played exceptional defense, and then DO (Dylan O’Connell) and Mikey (Entenza) ended up doing what they needed to do. Really good team win, good effort by the guys, great way to start the weekend.”
The Beginning
The Owls (10-6) took advantage of a USF (7-8) error in the third. What could have potentially ended the inning with two outs instead loaded the bases, and Nolan Schanuel lined a triple to right-center to bring all three runs across. Bobby Morgensen then followed with an RBI single for a 4-0 lead.
The Turning Point
Cooley made that lead hold up, scattering four hits, and did not allow a runner to reach third base against him. He was perfect in his final two innings – the sixth and seventh – retired the final eight batters he faced, and 14 of the last 16.
The Finish
USF avoided a shutout with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the eighth, but the Owls got that back with sac fly of their own in the ninth. Caleb Pendleton singled, went to second on a Mitchell Hartigan sac bunt and to third on a wild pitch, and scored on Jared DeSantolo’s long flyball to center. Mike Entenza closed it out with a 1-2-3 ninth, on two K’s and a flyout.
The Arms
- Cooley’s (3-1) longest career outing also included a new strikeout high of six
- He threw 97 pitches, 67 for strikes, and held a Bulls’ team batting .311 coming in – 19th in Division I – to just .160 (4-of-25)
- Entenza needed nine pitches, two swinging strikeouts (on three and five pitches), and the first-pitch flyout to right
The Bats
- Schanuel’s first career triple increased his season RBI total to 22. He later added a single for a team-high two hits on the night, raising his average to .348
- Hartigan and DeSantolo both had opposite-field doubles
- Wilfredo Alvarez scored his 21st run this year; also scoring on the triple were Sam Low and B.J. Murray. Schanuel came in on the Morgensen single
What’s NextGame two against the Bulls is a 6 p.m. start on Saturday night, with the finale set for 1 p.m. Sunday.
