BOCA RATON, Fla. – Florida Atlantic baseball earned its first C-USA victory of the season with a 13-5 win over Middle Tennessee on Friday night. Caleb Pendleton homered twice and drove in seven runs to lead the offense.
THE BEGINNING
The teams traded three-run homers in the first inning. After the Blue Raiders tagged Hunter Cooley in top of the frame, Pendleton gave the Owls a 4-3 lead with a line drive over the left-center field wall in the bottom half.
FAU added on with one in the third when Nolan Schanuel stole third and scored on a wild throw by the MT catcher. Middle Tenn. Scored two runs in the fifth inning to trim a 7-3 FAU advantage to 7-5.
THE TURNING POINT
In the bottom of the seventh, the Owls got back-to-back singles to start the inning from Armando Albert and Mitchell Hartigan. After Schanuel moved the runners over with a ground ball to the right side, Jackson Ross was intentionally walked. What looked to be a ground ball double play off the bat of Dylan Goldstein was booted by the MT shortstop. One run scored and the bases remained loaded for Pendleton.
The junior catcher launched a 1-2 curveball into the night sky, over the MT bullpen for the third grand slam of his career. That broke the game open and put the Owls up 12-5. An RBI single by Ross in the eighth would complete the scoring for the night.
THE FINISH
Tyler Murphy allowed two hits in the ninth inning but stranded both runners to close out a series opening victory.
THE ARMS
- Cooley completed five innings with five runs and 10 hits allowed. He improved to 3-3 on the season.
- Robert Wegielnik found himself in a bases loaded jam in the sixth but worked out of it by striking out the side
- Sam Drumheller needed just five pitches to get through the seventh though he did take a line drive off the pitching arm. He stayed in the game and retired the side in order.
- Braden Ostrander struck out the side in the eighth.
- Murphy K’d two in the ninth.
THE BATS
- Pendleton finished 2-for-5 with two home runs and seven RBI. He had a second chance with the bases loaded in the eighth but flew out to the track in left.
- Albert was 4-for-5 with four singles and two runs scored.
- Schanuel was held without a hit but walked twice and stole two bases. He’s now reached base in 19 straight games.
- Jalen DeBose singled twice and scored two runs.
WHAT’S NEXT
The Owls and Blue Raiders go again in game two at 4 p.m. on Saturday.
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.
