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4 p.m.
Baseball
vs. Charlotte
Florida Atlantic University Athletics
Saturday, May 12
Boca Raton, Fla.
1:00 PM
Florida Atlantic
11
vs
8
Mercer
FAU Splits Doubleheader
5/12/2001 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 12, 2001
In the final day of the regular season, Florida Atlantic University honored its seniors, Petersen Benjamin, Ryan Humphrey, and Regan Samaniego. The three saw an up and down day as FAU (34-22, 14-13 TAAC) won the first of a doubleheader 11-8 before falling in game two 7-2 to Mercer University (24-28, 10-17 TAAC).
Game one saw FAU capture its twelfth come-from-behind victory as they trailed going into the bottom of the fourth 6-2. Robbie Orton got to first when he was hit by a pitch. Bobby Spano (3-for-4) singled through the left side to make it first and second with no outs. Gabe Somarriba was able to load the bases when he was hit by his 25th pitch of the season, tying his season record of last year. Four singles and a walk by the next five batters got Florida Atlantic a 7-6 lead.
Florida Atlantic padded their lead with a four-run sixth after Humphrey walked and pinch runner, Tim McNab stole second and advanced to third when Robbie Orton reached on an error. Bobby Spano drove in his two RBI on the day when he doubled up the middle. After a Gabe Somarriba walk, Biernbaum doubled down the right field line to receive his second and third RBI of the day.
Mercer threatened in the seventh after Brandon Blair and Kyle Levengood got things started with consecutive singles. Joey Bennett got one run across the plate when he hit a sacrifice fly deep to right field. Luke Jackson followed with a double to right center to drive across the final run of the game.
Danny Core (6-8) earned the win after coming in for starting pitcher Greg Eubanks. Core struck out two in five innings and gave up two earned runs and five hits.
Byron Kiefer took the loss and moved to 1-4 after giving up six earned runs in three innings of work. Joshua Edwards came in to pitch three innings of relief.
The Bears controlled game two as they scored five runs in three innings. Chris Della Rocco got the start for FAU. Ryan Newton started the game with a single through the left side and scored when James McDonough drove the ball to the left field fence for his only RBI of the game. McDonough scored when Levengood again got the ball to the left field gap for an early 2- 0 lead.
Drew Starke continued the scoring in the second when he hit a homerun over the glove of right fielder Biernbaum.
James Callahan came out of the pen in the middle of the third and saw Mercer score two more runs off of sacrifice flies.
Florida Atlantic scored one-run in the fifth after Somarriba drew a walk, advanced to third on a Biernbaum single and scored when Mike Valdes reached on a fielders choice.
The sixth saw Spano reach on an error by the Luke Jackson and then score when Somarriba got his sixth double of the year.
Brett Jarrett ( 7-4) pitched a complete game for Mercer. He gave up only one earned run and stuck out four.
Della Rocco took the loss and moves to 1-1. Callahan pitched 2 2/3 innings before Tim McNab, Jim Cooney, and Nelson Lopez all saw playing time.
FAU will participate in the Trans America Athletic Conference Championship in Jacksonville, FL on May 16 at 3 pm against Stetson University.
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