BOCA RATON, Fla. – Florida Atlantic baseball and Louisiana Tech went to extra innings for the second straight day, but on Sunday it was the Owls who came out on top. Nolan Schanuel’s 10th inning base hit scored two runs to give the home side a 12-11 victory and a C-USA series win.
THE BEGINNING
FAU and LA Tech traded the lead back and forth three times in the first four innings. First, it was a solo HR by Jackson Ross in the opening inning that made it 1-0. The Bulldogs came back with four runs off of Nicholas Del Prado in the second.
John Schroeder led off the bottom of the second with another solo homer. Jalen DeBose lined a single down the first base line to make it 4-3 then Ross cashed in again, this time with a two-RBI double off the wall in left center.
LA Tech went back on top 7-5 in the top of the fourth, but it was short lived as the Owls tied it 7-7 in the bottom of the frame. A sac fly by Schanuel and an RBI double by Dylan Goldstein brought it back to all square.
THE TURNING POINT
Goldstein came through again in the sixth. This time he drove in two with another double to right field. He would score one batter later when Schroeder – after a 10-pitch battle with LTU pitcher Alec Sparks – lined a single to the opposite field. The Owls led 10-7 after seven.
Brandon Smith held the Bulldogs scoreless for 3.2 innings before giving way to Dawson Ball in the eighth. Ball got the first out of the inning before the Bulldogs tagged him for three runs on three hits to tie the game at 10.
THE FINISH
Evan Waterbor pitched a clean ninth inning but conceded a solo homer to lead off the top of the 10th. In the ensuing half inning, needing a run to tie or two to win, Patrick Ward led off by drawing an eight-pitch walk. Pinch runner Armando Albert moved over to second on a passed ball. DeBose squared to bunt but ultimately drew another walk to put two on with no outs. Ross followed suit with a third consecutive base on balls, bringing Schanuel to the plate with the bases loaded. With the infield in hoping for a play at the plate, Schanuel hit a ground ball to the right side that found a hole. Albert and DeBose scored to walk it off with a 12-11 final.
THE ARMS
- Hunter Cooley relieved Del Prado in the second inning and lasted two and a third.
- Smith entered with one out in the fourth and went on to hold LA Tech to one hit in 3.2. He struck out four.
- Despite throwing 82 pitches in the start on Friday night, C.J. Williams came on in relief to get the final two outs of the eighth inning.
- After the lead off homer in the 10th, Braden Ostrander entered and struck out two of three to keep the Owls within a win. He would go on to earn the winning decision.
THE BATS
- The Owls finished with 17 hits including three each from DeBose, Ross, and Goldstein.
- DeBose – starting for the first time since April 25 – doubled, singled twice, and scored four runs.
- Ward – starting for the first time since March 19 – doubled and walked twice.
- Schanuel finished 2-for-5 with three RBIs. He reached base safely for the 47th consecutive game.
WHAT’S NEXT
The Owls will welcome Florida Gulf Coast to town on Tuesday for the final home game of the 2023 season.
