May 13, 2008

Box Score

Fort Myers, FL - Florida Gulf Coast University won its home finale, defeating Florida Atlantic University 5-1 Tuesday night at Swanson Stadium. The result spoiled the outing of FAU's Nick Melendres. The junior lefty faced just two over the minimum through five innings in his first start.

Florida Atlantic (27-24-1) finished its midweek schedule 8-8.

It was the final home game for Florida Gulf Coast (37-13), the Atlantic Sun Conference champs. Despite winning the league crown the Eagles need to expire its two-year provisional Division I status before it will be eligible for postseason play in 2010.

FGCU's Vinnie Scarduzio hit his fourth home run in three games to initiate the scoring in the bottom of the third. Scarduzio pulled a ball down the right field line and off the foul pole 330 feet away to make the score 1-0.

Making his third collegiate start, Craig Crumbly matched his season-high by working five complete innings. Crumby entered the game with a 2.17 ERA in nine appearances, striking out 21 in 29 innings.

Jeremy Griffiths had two hits off Crumbly and finished 2-for-4. The second of Griffiths' singles came in the fifth, moving David Wilson into scoring position for Nick Arata, who singled to tie the game at 1-1.

Melendres (2-2), a junior transfer from Miami, had been used in short-relief in 16 previous appearances. He was impressive in his first start as an Owl, pitching into the sixth and allowing five hits.

Stephen Wickens's one-out double off Melendres in the bottom of the sixth began what would turn into a two-run inning for FGCU, chasing Melendres before taking a 3-1 lead.

FAU responded by threatening in the seventh. Wilson, who went 3-for-4, reached safely on his third consecutive hit with one out and Alex Silversmith followed with a pinch-hit single to put runners on first and third for Arata and Griffiths.

6-foot-3 215-pound righty Derek Shaw struck out four in two innings, including Arata and Griffiths in the seventh to squash FAU's rally. The Owls left seven runners on base.

The Eagles tacked on two more in the ninth which set things up for 6-foot-6 freshman lefty Chris Sale, a 19th-round MLB pick a year ago, who closed out FGCU's home season with a 1-2-3 ninth.

GAME NOTES: It was the second meeting between the two South Florida schools, with FGCU beating FAU 7-5 last week in Boca Raton... Swanson Field has yielded just 27 home runs in 25 games this season... Mike McKenna's fourth-inning double was his 13th of the year... Nick Arata has 47 RBI, 20 better than his total as a sophomore a year ago... FAU is 6-13 in road games... FGCU only began its baseball program six years ago, playing as an NAIA independent in 2002 and 2003, and as a Division II independent from 2004-07... Making the Eagles' 37-13 record even more impressive is the fact that 2008 is the program's first year in Division I and the the Atlantic Sun Conference.