Florida Atlantic University Athletics
Florida Atlantic
FIU
Florida International Offense Too Much for FAU
5/16/2008 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 16, 2008
MIAMI, FL - Florida International benefited from the big inning, scoring four times in the first and breaking open a tie game with a six-run sixth to outscore rival Florida Atlantic 11-7 Friday.
The Golden Panthers beat FAU for just the third time in the last 14 meetings between the two South Florida schools.
Florida International (20-35; 12-17 SBC) had 15 hits. Ryan Mollica went 4-for-4 with a home run during FIU's four-run first inning and finished with four RBI. Left fielder John Petika hit a timely three-run double in the sixth.
Mike McKenna became the all-time RBI leader in FAU school history and Daniel Cook hit a two-run homer for the Florida Atlantic (28-25-1; 14-12-1 SBC).
The first five batters of the game reached off FAU's freshman right-handed starter Mike Gipson (4-2). Mollica and Raimy Fuentes each hit full-count two-run homers off Gipson in a first inning that put FIU up 4-0.
Cook's first home run since March 12th tied the game 4-4 in the fourth. It was Cook's 7th in 22 games played this season, and first since returning from a mid-season injury suffered March 14.
McKenna's RBI sacrifice fly an inning earlier had cut FIU's early four-run advantage down to two. The RBI gave McKenna 182 for his four-year Owl career- equaling a school record.
McKenna went 2-for-4 and owns a team-leading 11-game hit streak. William Block had his second-straight 4-hit night.
Tyler Townsend hit his 14th home run and his fifth in five games, a two-run opposite-field job that broke a 4-4 tie in the fifth and gave FIU the lead 6-4.
The Owls immediately answered back in the sixth scoring twice, with Jeremy Griffiths RBI-triple chasing FIU starter Chris Allen and tying the game back up 6-6.
Gipson's night was done after allowing consecutive hits to begin the bottom of the sixth. Gipson allowed 11 hits in five official innings and would watch the FAU relief corps transform a tie game into an 11-6 FAU deficit.
Javier Sujo hit a pinch-hit double off Gipson to begin the inning and Corey Lozano singled, prompting FAU head coach Kevin Cooney to call upon lefty Adam Morrison. Morrison, who was making his first appearance since April 16th, allowed both inherited runners to score and would be charged with three runs when Petika hit a bases-clearing double off Brett Cannon to give FIU its biggest lead of the series 11-6.
Eric Hortsmann (3-2), FIU's projected Sunday starter, was called upon in long-relief instead on Saturday and picked up the win.
GAME NOTES: FAU came into the Friday's game having won 11-of-13 against FIU... Adam Morrison's appearance in relief of Gipson in the sixth was his first in exactly one month due to injury, last pitching in a starting role against #1 Miami (4/16)... FAU is 2-16 when trailing after six innings and 0-19 if trailing after eight.
