Baseball Stays Perfect at TAAC Tournament

Thursday, May 17

Jacksonville, Fla.

7:00 PM

Florida Atlantic

Jacksonville

5/17/2001 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

May 17, 2001

Box Score

JACKSONVILLE, FL -- Florida Atlantic University (36-22) stayed perfect in the Trans America Athletic Conference Tournament with a 7-3 victory over host Jacksonville University Thursday night in Jacksonville, FL. Danny Core (7-8) led the FAU effort with a career-high 13 strikeouts in the first complete-game of his collegiate career. He gave up nine hits and walked just two.

Florida Atlantic found themselves behind early in the game after JU scored a run in both the first and second innings on solo home runs by Phil Nover and Jami Rodgers. In the following innings, Core found a rhythm and did not allow an earned run the rest of the way.

FAU found offense at the bottom of the order from number-nine hitter Tim McNab, who went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Florida Atlantic picked up a run in the third when McNab doubled with two outs and Bobby Spano followed with an RBI-single up the middle to pull FAU to within 2-1.

FAU again scored in the fourth to tie the game at 2-2. L.J. Biernbaum led off with a single to right center. Alex Fernandez followed with a walk before a double steal put runners at second and third with one out. Ryan Humphrey then provided one of his two RBI on the night with a groundout to second.

After JU took a 3-2 lead in the top of the fourth, poor defense by the Dolphins in the bottom of the inning allowed FAU to score four more times to take a 6-3 lead into the fifth. The inning included a two-out, two-run single by Rusty Brown and an RBI-single by Humphrey. An insurance run in the bottom of the eighth, courtesy of a run-scoring double by Rob Orton, gave FAU what ultimately became a 7-3 victory.

Darren Truty (7-5) took the loss for the Dolphins after 4 and 2/3 innings of work. He gave up six runs, two earned, on five hits while walking three and striking out two.

Florida Atlantic, the fifth-seed entering the tournament, will play top-seeded Central Florida Friday at 11am with the winner advancing to Saturday's championship game. The winner of the tournament receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.