Florida Atlantic University Athletics
Florida Atlantic
Middle Tennessee
McKenna, Florida Atlantic Baseball Remains Hot
3/21/2008 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 21, 2008
BOCA RATON, FL - Mike McKenna tied a school record by hitting three homeruns as Florida Atlantic won its fifth straight, defeating Middle Tennessee State 13-7 Friday night.
McKenna went 4-for-5 and drove in seven runs. McKenna homered in each of his first three at-bats to help stake FAU to leads of 2-0, 4-2 and 7-2. He leads the league in homeruns (12), RBI (40) and total bases (74).
The two teams generated 19 of the game's 20 runs off ten combined homers.
Florida Atlantic (14-6; 4-1 SBC) has won seven-of-eight during its current ten-game homestand.
MTSU starter Brad Robinson (1-2) surrendered eight hits and seven runs in four innings, including all three homers hit by McKenna and another by Tom Hatcher.
FAU had no such trouble with its starting pitching. Junior Mickey Storey (2-1) turned in another winning performance, striking out five in six innings. Nick Arata hit a three-run home run in the FAU fifth, his fourth of the year, to make the score 10-2, assuring Storey of winning his second consecutive start.
Rawley Bishop and Zach Dean hit back-to-back home runs off FAU reliever Mike Gipson, part of a five run rally in the top of the seventh to cut a commanding seven-run FAU advantage down to three, 10-7.
MTSU (10-5-1; 3-3 SBC) received a pair of home runs by centerfielder Nathan Hines, who had ignited the MTSU rally earlier in the inning by hitting a three-run homer off Gipson.
Travis Ozga gave the Owls some extra insurance, first by belting his fifth homer of the year in the bottom of the seventh, a solo shot off Tyler Hyde to make the score 11-7. Ozga then added an RBI fielder's choice in the FAU eighth. Ozga has posted an RBI in six straight games and upped his season total to 24- second best on the club.
The Blue Raiders were unable to capitalize with two outs in the eighth after Nick Melendres had loaded up the bases by issuing three consecutive walks.
Senior reliever Brett Cannon then came on to work a perfect ninth inning for FAU allowing the Owls a series-opening win at home. Game two is slated for a 4 p.m. first pitch Saturday afternoon.
