BOCA RATON, Fla. – Gabriel Rincones, Jr. homered three times but a ninth inning rally fell short for the Florida Atlantic University baseball team on Saturday afternoon against FIU. The Owls dropped a 6-4 final and will need to win Sunday’s finale to take the series.
THE BEGINNINGThe Owls fell behind 3-0 in the top of the first but trimmed it to a one-run deficit in the bottom of the frame. After a leadoff walk to Armando Albert, Rincones, Jr. launched his 14th home run of the season off the batter’s eye in center.
THE TURNING POINTIn the fourth, four straight FIU singles drove in two more runs and the put the Owls back down by three. The response, again, came from Rincones, Jr. The sophomore’s second homer of the game – a solo shot — made it 5-3 in the sixth. The trifecta was completed in the bottom of the eighth. His third of the day brought the Owls within a run.
On the pitching side, Sam Drumheller relieved starter Jacob Josey in the fifth and contributed four shutout innings.
THE FINISHFIU tacked on an insurance run via a sac fly in the top of the ninth. In the bottom of the frame, back-to-back one-out singles by Steven Loden and Caleb Pendleton gave FAU a glimmer of hope. The comeback would be quelled however by two ground outs to end the game.
THE ARMS
- Josey allowed four earned runs on six hits. He struck out three and walked two
- Drumheller allowed just one hit in his four frames
- Robert Wegielnik pitched the ninth inning. He conceded a hit, a walk, and a run
THE BATS
- The lone offensive bright spot of the day was Rincones, Jr.’s three home runs. He’s now up to 16 on the season
- It was the fifth three-homer game in program history and first since 2010
- The Owls struggled to solve FIU starter Carlos Lequerica who went seven innings and struck out eight
WHAT’S NEXTThe Owls and Panthers will reconvene at noon on Sunday for the series finale.
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