Owl Offense Explodes in Game Two Win Over Monmouth

BOCA RATON, Fla. – The Florida Atlantic University baseball team used an eight-run fifth inning to pull away from Monmouth on Saturday night in route to a 14-8 victory. The Owls will go for the three-game sweep on Sunday.

THE BEGINNING

The Owls offense took the early lead with four runs in the second inning. With one out, Mitchell Hartigan lined the first pitch he saw over the right-center field fence. After Spencer Rich beat out an infield single and Christian Adams walked, John Schroeder delivered an RBI double down the first base line. Jalen DeBose brought Adams in with a base hit and the fourth run of the frame scored on a fielder’s choice.

FAU would tack on two more in the third. With two outs, Adams went to the opposite field for a hit to bring in Dylan Goldstein. Schroeder then came through with a carbon copy of his double from the previous inning for another RBI.

THE TURNING POINT

Monmouth hung around and it was still just a 6-2 lead for the Owls entering the bottom of the fifth. It was there that the home side sent 13 men to the plate totaling seven hits and eight runs. The inning featured a little bit of everything but the biggest blow for Monmouth was a moonshot off the bat of Schroeder with two on and no one out. The sophomore’s first career home run put the Owls in double digits (11-2). Other highlights of the long frame included a triple by Nolan Schanuel, another home run from Jackson Ross, and doubles from Rich and Hartigan. When the dust settled, it was a 14-2 game.

THE FINISH

The Hawks made things interesting with a six-run seventh but ultimately Sam Drumheller slammed the door on any comeback hopes with 2.1 scoreless innings to close it out.

THE ARMS

Jacob Josey made the start and completed four innings with two runs and seven hits allowed.
Marc DeGusipe and Evan Waterbor tossed one scoreless inning each.
Drumheller recorded the third out of the seventh before retiring the Hawks in order in the eighth and ninth.

THE BATS