BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – (March 24, 2019) – A five-run fifth inning for UAB proved to be the downfall Sunday for Florida Atlantic University baseball, falling 6-5 in the finale from Regions Field and snapping a 10-game winning streak for the Owls.
Quotable
Head Coach John McCormack:
“Tough day. A five-run fifth was the difference, and we gave them too many free opportunities. I was proud of the way our guys fought back. Overall, a good weekend to win a series on the road.”
The Turning Point
The Owls (16-8, 5-1 Conference USA) led 2-1 heading to the bottom of the fifth, but UAB (11-14, 1-5 C-USA) sent 11 batters to the plate in the decisive inning, scoring five runs on just three hits, taking advantage of three walks, a hit batter and an error.
The Finish
FAU chipped away, scoring once in the sixth and twice more in the eighth to cut it to one. In the latter inning, Francisco Urbaez doubled to lead things off, and came in on Andru Summerall’s third double in as many at-bats. Pedro Pages followed with a run-scoring single, but would be stranded after three consecutive outs. In the ninth, pinch-hitter Mitchell Hartigan drew a leadoff walk, again representing the tying run, but a double play erased him, and a popout ended the comeback attempt.
The Arms / The Gloves
· Nick Swan dropped to 1-1 on the year with the loss. He had cruised through four, only allowing a run on three hits, but couldn’t make it out of the fifth
· Throwing big innings in relief was Michael Schuler. He inherited bases loaded and one out in the fifth, and got a fielder’s choice (with the runner thrown out at home) and a groundout for no further damage
· He too pitched a scoreless sixth and seventh, coming out after the first two reached against him in the eighth
· Similarly to Schuler, Vince Coletti was impressive in a tough situation, fielding a bunt to throw out the lead runner at third, getting help from Pages throwing out the back end of a double steal attempt at second, and getting a strikeout to strand two
The Bats
· Summerall’s three doubles were one short of the program’s record in a game, four by Jonathon Shapland in 2005. The junior leftfielder scored three runs, knocked in one, and was 7-for-11 in the series (.636) with five doubles
· Also with three hits, and also 7-for-11 on the weekend, was Pages
· Urbaez had two hits, two runs scored and an RBI; Jared DeSantolo had two RBI
What’s Next
Next up is a Wednesday matchup at FAU Baseball Stadium, with the Owls hosting Miami at 6:30 p.m. To purchase premium tickets, call 1-866-FAU-OWLS.
– FAUSports.com –
Florida Atlantic University Athletics:
FAU Athletics is comprised of 21 intercollegiate teams involving 450 student-athletes that compete in baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, indoor and outdoor track, volleyball, beach volleyball, cheer and dance. The Owls are a NCAA Division I-A (FBS) institution and compete in Conference USA and the Coastal Collegiate Sports Association (CCSA) (beach volleyball, men’s swimming). The Owls have been playing football since 2001 and are a perfect 3-0 in bowl games, the most recent being a 50-3 victory over Akron in the 2017 Cheribundi Tart Cherry Boca Raton Bowl. The dance team finished its 2014 season No. 8, nationally. FAU cheer won a national championship in 2016.
About Florida Atlantic University:
Florida Atlantic University, established in 1961, officially opened its doors in 1964 as the fifth public university in Florida. Today, the University, with an annual economic impact of $6.3 billion, serves more than 30,000 undergraduate and graduate students at sites throughout its six county service region in southeast Florida. FAU’s world-class teaching and research faculty serves students through 10 colleges: the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, the College of Business, the College for Design and Social Inquiry, the College of Education, the College of Engineering and Computer Science, the Graduate College, the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing and the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science. FAU is ranked as a High Research Activity institution by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The University is placing special focus on the rapid development of critical areas that form the basis of its strategic plan: Healthy aging, biotech, coastal and marine issues, neuroscience, regenerative medicine, informatics, lifespan and the environment. These areas provide opportunities for faculty and students to build upon FAU’s existing strengths in research and scholarship. For more information, visit www.fau.edu.
