HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – The Florida Atlantic University baseball team smashed six home runs on Friday afternoon in a 14-12 win over Marshall. The Owls will go for the sweep in the final game of the regular season on Saturday.
THE BEGINNINGWith the wind blowing out toward an already short right field wall, Marshall jumped on FAU starter Tyler Burnham in the first two innings. They used a single and three doubles to take a 3-0 lead and added three more with a home run in the second. Faced with a 6-0 deficit, the Owls got the bats going in the third with a solo homer from Jalen DeBose and an RBI single by Dylan Goldstein. They trailed 6-4 at that point.
After the third Herd home run of the day in the bottom of the third, FAU tied the game for the first time with another four-spot in the top of the fourth. This time it was Shane Magrann with a leadoff shot and Goldstein with a two-run bomb. That tied the game at eight.
THE TURNING POINTMarshall retook the lead in the fifth and led 12-8 entering the eighth. A leadoff single from Magrann and a walk to Armando Albert brought Gabriel Rincones, Jr. to the plate. After a long battle with Herd pitcher Louis Davenport, Rincones made it a one-run game with his 18th home run of the season.
The Herd still had the lead but that would soon come crashing down. On a seemingly routine ground out by Nolan Schanuel, MU second baseman Christian Lucio threw it wide of first base. Goldstein was the next batter, and he would make the defense pay. His second home run of the day gave his side its first lead. Jackson Ross then made it back-to-back with his sixth HR of the season for some insurance.
THE FINISHJacob Josey came on and got the final six outs with relative ease to preserve the victory.
QUOTABLEHead coach John McCormack
“We survived today. We didn’t hit or pitch well early, but we eventually got it going. Goldstein continues to produce, and Gabe came up with a big home run. We scored enough and survived.”
THE ARMS
- Burnham was lifted after two innings and gave way to Tibur Rivero for the next 3.1
- Sam Drumheller threw an inning and two-thirds, putting the fire out in the sixth and holding the Herd scoreless in the seventh
- For the second straight day, the Owls recorded a two-inning save. Josey earned his first of the season. He retired all six batters he faced
THE BATS
- The Owls have feasted on the smaller ballpark in each of the first two games. They’ve now racked up 10 home runs in two days, with six leaving the yard in game two. The teams combined for nine on Friday, all of which were to right field.
- Including his two homers, Goldstein finished 3-for-4 with five RBI. He’s now tied with Rincones for the team lead in HR (18)
- Six different Owls – Schanuel, Rincones, Magrann, Albert, DeBose, and Mitchell Hartigan— recorded two-hit days
WHAT’S NEXTFirst pitch for the final game of the regular season is scheduled for 1 pm on Saturday.
