BOCA RATON, Fla. – Rightfielder Gabriel Rincones, Jr. singled in the game-winning run, in the bottom of the ninth, to give the Florida Atlantic University baseball team a 9-8 win over the University of Michigan on Tuesday night.
The Owls move to 6-3 overall with the win and will play host to the Wolverines (5-3) on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.
Quotable
Head Coach John McCormack
“It is a great win,” said John McCormack, FAU’s head coach. “Everybody chipped in. It was a really good college baseball game. They did what they were supposed to do, and we were able to get one more run than them. I thought they did a really, really nice job offensively and our guys did a great job offensively. It was a really, really good game. I enjoyed being part of it. I know our guys did as well. It was a good night.”
THE BEGINNING
The wind was circling causing both teams to battle with any ball hit in the air, including a one-out triple that on any other night would have been a popup in shallow left. Michigan took advantage of the opportunity by plating a run in the top of the first. Nicholas Del Prado, who started for the Owls, didn’t get rattled. He got a fly out and a strikeout to limit the damage to just one run.
THE TURNING POINT
Del Prado would be charged with two more runs after three innings of work. Evan Waterbor pitched the following three, and he allowed two runs in the fourth, giving Michigan a 5-0 lead before FAU could begin chipping. The Owls would score two runs in both the fourth and fifth and would tie the game in the bottom of the sixth at 5-5.
In the top of the sixth, Waterbor gave up a double to right field. That runner moved to third on a sacrifice bunt where he was left stranded after a strikeout and a groundout. FAU did more than threaten in the bottom half of the seventh inning. Shane Magrann drew a leadoff walk, moved to second on a wild pitch, to third on a single to right by Jalen DeBose and scored on a Armando Albert safety squeeze bunt.
Michigan would respond in the top of the eighth with three runs and would hold FAU to just one in the bottom half of the inning for an 8-6 lead over the Owls.
THE FINISH
Robert Wegielnik, who picked up his first win of the 2022 season, pitched a scoreless ninth. The right hander got two quick outs via a strike out and fly out. He then gave up a single, hit a batter and recorded a strikeout sending the Owls to the dugout with work to do at the plate.
FAU’s Dylan Goldstein drew a one-out walk and moved to third on a Magrann line-hugging double. The hot hitting DeBose walked to load the bases. Shortstop Armando Albert drew a full-count RBI walk to tie the game at 8-8, setting up Rincones’ game-winning heroics and the 9-8 final.
“Whenever you have a dugout that is loud and cheering for you, it puts pressure on the pitcher,” said Rincones about his feelings at the plate prior to his game-winning hit. “It was a team win and I’m more happy about the win than what I did tonight.”
THE ARMS
- Three was the number of the day for FAU starter Del Prado, who pitched three innings, gave up three runs, all earned, walked three and struck out one
- Waterbor tossed the next three allowing two earned runs on four hits, a walk and three strikeouts
- Sam Drumheller pitched a one, two, three seventh, but gave up a leadoff double in the eighth and was relieved, by Wegielnik, without recording an out
- Wegielnik retired the first two batters he faced in the eighth, but a double to left scored two, charged to Drumheller, and he would give up another run before closing out the eighth inning. Wegielnik returned to the mound pitching a scoreless ninth for his first win of 2022
THE BATS
- Jackson Ross continued to pace the Owls with three hits, two walks and two runs scored
- Three Owls had multiple hit nights with Magrann going 2-of-3 with two runs scored, while Steven Loden was 2-for-5 and Rincones was 2-for-6 with a run scored and the game-winning RBI single
- Albert and Goldstein were both 1-for-3
- Nolan Schanuel was 1-forr-3 and DeBose was 1-for-4 to round out FAU’s 13 hits
WHAT’S NEXT
The two teams will be back at the park on Wednesday for the second of two scheduled games. First pitch is slated for 6:30 p.m. The game is part of a 12-game homestand over 18 days for the Owls.
FOR SEASON 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.
