Florida Atlantic University Athletics
Florida Atlantic
UCF
Baseball Splits Doubleheader With UCF
3/18/2001 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 18, 2001
ORLANDO, FL -
Florida Atlantic University suffered a 13-inning loss to the University of Central Florida before bouncing back to take a 7-5 victory in eight innings in a Sunday afternoon Trans America Athletic Conference doubleheader in Orlando, FL. With the two extra inning affairs, FAU's record stands at 17-10 overall and 1-2 in TAAC play.
In game-two, FAU used a two-run rally with two outs and nobody on in the eighth inning to defeat the Golden Knights 7-5. Shaen O'Connor started with a two-out triple. FAU took a 6-5 lead when Bobby Spano doubled home pinch-runner Chris Quiel. Gabe Somarriba then added an insurance run with an RBI-single to give FAU a 7-5 lead.
FAU took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second on O'Connor's two-out run-scoring single. The Owls tacked on four more runs in the third which included a two-run homer by LJ Biernbaum. Alex Fernandez added an RBI-double while Andrew Thoms contributed a run-scoring single.
The lead lasted just one inning as UCF (21-5, 2-1 TAAC) scored five times in the fourth to tie the game. Jeremy Frost pulled UCF to within 5-2 on a two-run homer. Then, Mike Fox tied the game with a three-run blast.
Chris Pillsbury (1-2) picked up the win in relief, allowing just one hit in four innings of work. FAU outhit UCF 13-7. O'Connor went 3-for-4 with an RBI while Biernbaum finished 2-for-4 with 2 RBIs.
In game-one, a bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the 13th inning by Mike Myers gave UCF a dramatic 2-1 victory.
FAU took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first when Biernbaum, who reached on a two-out single, scored when Mike Valdes reached on an error. The Owls held the lead into the fourth behind solid pitching by starter Petersen Benjamin, who retired the first 10 batters he faced before allowing a one-out single to Jeremy Kurella in the same inning. Chad Ehrnsberger drove Kurella home on a sacrifice fly later in the fourth to tie the game 1-1.
Meanwhile, after the unearned run in the first inning, UCF starter Jason Arnold retired 15 straight and 26 of the next 27 batters he faced. The only blemish was a Jason Sullivan single with two outs in the sixth. After allowing a Regan Samaniego single in the 10th, Arnold got out of the inning when Fernandez grounded into a double play.
Benjamin prevented the Owls from losing the lead by pitching out of two jams late in the game. The first was in the fifth when UCF's Myers led off with a single and stole second. Benjamin, however, struck out Fox and forced two groundouts to get out of the inning. In the seventh, UCF had a chance to win the game in its final at bat when Frost led off with a double to left. After Myers was hit by a pitch, Benjamin retired the next three Golden Knights to send the game into extra innings.
Both starters went 10 innings without a decision. Benjamin allowed one run on six hits with six strikeouts and a walk. Arnold allowed one unearned run and three hits while striking out 14 and walking none.
Danny Core (4-3), who relieved Benjamin to start the 11th, suffered the loss, allowing a run on two hits and striking out two in 2.2 innings of work. UCF's Paul Lubrano picked up the victory, allowing just one walk in three innings of work.
FAU next faces Hartford Monday night at 7:00pm in Boca Raton.
