FORT MYERS, Fla. – Florida Atlantic baseball has taken the first two in the four-game season series with Florida Gulf Coast. They once again did it in thrilling fashion on Tuesday night, prevailing 5-4 over the 15th-ranked Eagles to earn head coach John McCormack his 500th career win.
THE BEGINNING
The Owls were in an early hole in the bottom of the first after a three-run home run by FGCU’s Alejandro Rodriguez opened the scoring. The response was swift, however. In the top of the second, John Schroeder drew a one-out walk and Daulton Frank singled. With two outs, Armando Albert lined a single to the opposite field to score two. Two batters later, Nolan Schanuel extended his reached-base streak to 29 games with an RBI single, tying the game at 3-3.
THE TURNING POINT
Tyler Murphy piggybacked starter Danny Trehey in the second inning and stifled the high-powered FGCU bats for the next four scoreless innings. While Murphy was in control on the mound, the FAU offense gave their freshman a lead in the fourth. Mitchell Hartigan connected on an RBI double off the wall in right field, bringing two runs across.
THE FINISH
Evan Waterbor relieved Murphy in the sixth and retired the first eight batters he faced. After Edrick Felix finally tagged the lefty for a solo HR with two outs in the eighth, the Owls turned to Robert Wegielnik for a four-out save.
Wegielnik struck out slugger Alejandro Figueredo for the last out of the eighth and retired the Eagles in order in the ninth to pick up his third save of the season.
THE ARMS
- Murphy struck out three, walked one, and allowed just one hit in four innings to earn his first collegiate win.
- Waterbor bridged the gap to Wegielnik with 2.2 innings, a strikeout, and one hit on his line.
- Wegielnik needed 18 pitches to record the save.
THE BATS
- Albert finished 2-for-3 and reached base four times.
- Hartigan, Jackson Ross, and Caleb Pendleton all recorded two hits apiece.
- Schanuel drove in his 41st run of the season with his single in the second.
WHAT’S NEXT
The Owls return home Friday to start a C-USA series against Dallas Baptist. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
TICKETS
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