BOCA RATON, Fla. – Florida Atlantic baseball is on the verge of a four-game sweep after a 9-6 victory over Harvard on Sunday afternoon.
THE BEGINNING
For the first time in the series, Harvard scored first. With one hit, two walks, two hit batters, and one wild pitch in the top of the third, the Crimson jumped out to a 2-0 lead. It would be short-lived though.
In the bottom of the frame, Armando Albert drew a one-out walk and Mitchell Hartigan singled. That brought Nolan Schanuel to the plate and the C-USA Preseason Player of the Year drove a 2-2 pitch over the right-center field wall for his eighth home run of the season.
THE TURNING POINT
The Owls maintained a 6-4 lead entering the eighth inning. Harvard started the frame with back-to-back doubles off Sam Drumheller and then tied the score on a base hit up the middle with Robert Wegielnik on the mound.
The offense picked their pitchers up in the ensuing half inning. Jalen DeBose and Albert put together consecutive one-out singles. With Hartigan at the plate, Harvard catcher Zach Brown attempted to pick Albert off at first base on a swinging third strike. The throw caromed into shallow right field and DeBose kept running around third to score the go-ahead run.
After Schanuel was intentionally walked, Jackson Ross singled to left to make it 8-6. The Owls then executed a run-down/double steal play with runners at first and third. Ross broke for second to intentionally draw the Harvard defense into a run-down. While that was happening, Schanuel took off for home. The throw from the second baseman was not in time and the lead grew to 9-6.
THE FINISH
Harvard acquired a base runner in the ninth via an error, but Wegielnik struck out the next two hitters before inducing a pop up to end the game.
THE ARMS
- Freshman Tyler Murphy made his second start of the season and completed three innings with three strikeouts and two runs allowed.
- Marc DeGusipe held the Crimson scoreless in the fourth and fifth.
- Nicholas Del Prado was the Owls’ bridge to the eighth inning. He conceded two runs and struck out five.
- Drumheller allowed an earned run for the first time this season in his third of an inning.
- Wegielnik picked up the win – his first – with 1.2 scoreless and three Ks.
THE BATS
- Schanuel homered for the second straight game, drew four walks, and scored three runs. He has reached base in 11 consecutive trips to the plate dating back to Friday night.
- Albert finished 3-for-4 with three runs scored.
- Patrick Ward and DeBose recorded two hits apiece from the eight and nine spots in the lineup.
- Hartigan and Dylan Goldstein also posted multi-hit games with two hits each.
- FAU finished with 13 hits and took advantage of four Harvard errors.
WHAT’S NEXT
The series finale is scheduled for a 6:30 p.m. first pitch on Monday night.
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.
