HOUSTON, Texas – The Florida Atlantic University baseball team won the series opener against Rice 9-4 on Friday night in Texas. The Owls climbed to 4-3 in Conference USA with the victory and will now go for the series win in game two on Saturday.
QUOTABLE
Head Coach John McCormack
“Really good team win. We played good defense, pitched well, and swung the bats well. Nice start to the weekend and we have to be ready to go tomorrow.”
THE BEGINNING
In a battle of two teams with the same mascot, it was the visiting Owls who jumped out to a lead in the first inning. Jackson Ross lined an RBI single up the middle to make it 1-0.
Rice tied it in the bottom of the frame before FAU retook the lead for good in the second. After a single by Tyler Kelder and a double off the top of the wall by Caleb Pendleton, Jalen DeBose stepped in and ripped an RBI base hit to right field. Armando Albert then dropped down a squeeze bunt to bring Pendleton in and Gabriel Rincones, Jr. laced a double to the gap to score DeBose.
THE TURNING POINT
FAU maintained the 4-1 lead until a two-run home run from Rice’s Guy Garibay in the fifth. The answer from the visitors was immediate though and it started with a leadoff infield single from Dylan Goldstein. DeBose drove in his second run of the game with a double and Rincones added another to his tally with an RBI single.
THE FINISH
The visiting Owls would add one in the seventh and two more in the eighth for a commanding 9-4 lead. Hunter Cooley was solid all night on the mound before giving way to Max Martzolf after 115 pitches. The freshman recorded the last five outs to close the deal.
THE ARMS
- Cooley allowed four runs and eight hits in 7.1 innings. He struck out five and walked just one to earn his fourth win of the season.
- Martzolf didn’t allow a hit or a run in his 1.2 frames.
THE BATS
- All 10 FAU hitters that had an at-bat reached base at least once
- DeBose led the offense going 2-for-3 with three runs scored
- Rincones, Jr. finished 2-for-4 with three driven in. He’s now up to a team-high 37 RBI
- With a leadoff walk in the first inning, Albert reached base for the 24th consecutive game. He was 1-for-3 for the night with two runs scored
WHAT’S NEXT
First pitch for game two of the series is scheduled for 3 pm (EST) on Saturday afternoon.
TICKETS
To purchase FAU tickets, call 1-866-FAU-OWLS or click HERE. Stay informed by reading FAUSports.com, or through the baseball’s Twitter and Instagram accounts @FAUBaseball.
