HATTIESBURG, Miss. – The Florida Atlantic University baseball team fell to UTSA in the morning game on Thursday at the Conference USA tournament but rallied back to defeat UAB in an elimination game in the night cap. The Owls will play the loser between UTSA and Southern Miss. on Friday night.
FAU 4, UTSA 6
THE BEGINNING
The Roadrunners decided to start freshman Braylon Owens but soon changed their minds after just two batters in the bottom of the first. After a pair walks and before an out was recorded, they turned to ace Luke Malone. The Owls struck for two in the opening frame before Malone settled in.
After UTSA tied the game at 2-2 in the fourth, Shane Magrann launched a solo homer to regain the lead for FAU in the fifth. The Roadrunners took their first lead in the sixth before Nolan Schanuel tied the game again at four with his 15th HR of the season.
THE TURNING POINT
Max Martzolf relieved Hunter Cooley in the seventh and recorded a 1-2-3 inning. The freshman would run into trouble in the eighth, however. A double, a single, and a hit by pitch loaded the bases. UTSA got a sacrifice fly and then a base hit to plate two runs and take a 6-4 lead.
The Owls had a chance to respond in the bottom of the inning with first and third and only one out. They would come up empty though and still trailed by two entering the final frame.
THE FINISH
Malone remained on the mound for UTSA and set down the Owls in order in the bottom of the ninth. UTSA advanced to play Southern Miss. in the winner’s bracket on Friday.
THE ARMS
- Cooley completed six innings with 10 hits and two earned runs allowed. He struck out seven with no walks
- Sam Drumheller relieved Martzolf and got the final out of the eighth plus a scoreless ninth
THE BATS
- The Owls finished with just six hits. Armando Albert’s 2-for-3 effort was the only multi-hit line
FAU 11, UAB 1 (7 innings)
THE BEGINNING
Faced with an elimination game against a team that took of three from them in the regular season, the Owls stormed out of the gate in the bottom of the first. They needed just one hit to do the damage. Three walks loaded the bases for Mitchell Hartigan. The junior roped a 1-2 pitch off the wall in center to clear the bases and open the scoring.
THE TURNING POINT
With starter Tyler Burnham dealing on the mound, FAU added to its lead in the fourth. Gabriel Rincones, Jr. sent a three-run homer to the deepest part of the park in straightaway centerfield. That gave the Owls a 6-0 lead and Schanuel soon made it seven with his second HR of the day. Rincones and Schanuel have now gone back-to-back three times this season.
THE FINISH
The Owls tacked on one in the fifth and then ended the game on the 10-run rule in the bottom of the seventh. A single by Rincones plus an error scored Albert from first. Schanuel walked bringing Goldstein to the plate. A line drive double to the gap in right center scored two runs and gave the Owls the 11-1 victory.
QUOTABLE
Head coach John McCormack
“Offensively, our thing is we hit home runs and doubles. When Rincones, Schanuel, and Goldstein hit we’re usually pretty successful. When they don’t, we have a battle on our hands. The back-to-back home runs from Gabe and Nolan tonight really got us going.”
THE ARMS
- Burnham completed six innings with one run allowed. He set a new season-high with eight strikeouts
- Sam Drumheller once again pitched the seventh inning and held UAB scoreless
THE BATS
- Rincones finished 2-for-4 with three RBI
- Schanuel was 1-for-3 with two walks and three runs scored
- Albert walked four times and scored two runs
- The Owls drew as many walks (9) as hits
WHAT’S NEXT
The Owls will meet the loser of the Friday’s first game between UTSA and Southern Miss. on Friday at 6 pm.
