Bubley, Owls' Offense Leads FAU to 10th Win

Tuesday, March 10

Boca Raton, Fla.

6:30 PM

Florida Atlantic

10-3

Monmouth

1-6

Monmouth

Florida Atlantic

3/10/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

March 10, 2009

Final Stats

BOCA RATON, FL - Troy Bubley drove in the winning run in the bottom of the ninth for Florida Atlantic University - a team averaging 14 hits per game - as the Owls defeated Monmouth University 10-9 under the lights of FAU Stadium Tuesday.

Florida Atlantic (10-3) scored 10+ runs for the sixth time this year, upping its team batting average to .326. Bubley hit his third home run and finished the night 4-for-6 with three RBI and a stolen base. Nick DelGuidice added two hits, increasing his team-leading hit-total to 20.

Bubley's walk-off single scoring senior classmate David Wilson allowed the Owls to stave off a late comeback bid by the Hawks who had rallied to tie the game with three runs in the top of the ninth.

Monmouth (1-6) is in the midst of a 10-game road swing to being its 2009 season. The Hawks are coming off a 37-16 campaign in 2008, capturing the Northeastern Conference regular season title after winning 20 of 25 against the NEC a year ago.

The Hawks went to the bullpen early as freshman starter Adam Krebs recorded just three outs through the first 10 FAU batters. A DelGuidice double and Nick Criaris 2-RBI single off Krebs in the first inning helped the Owls assume an early 5-2 lead.

FAU starter Brent Adheen gave up five hits through three complete frames. It was the freshman's third collegiate appearance and second start. Adheen was followed by six FAU relievers.

Paul Bottigliero's bases-clearing double off Nick Melendres helped the Hawks briefly tie the game 5-5 in the fifth inning. Ryan Garton got Melendres out of a jam and retired six of the seven batters he faced.

Tom Hatcher led off the FAU fifth with a single and came around to score on one of Joey Burkhalter's two hits. By the time Bubley hit a solo homer in the seventh, FAU had already re-established its three-run lead.

With FAU leading by three in the ninth, freshman Hugh Adams allowed an infield hit, bloop single and issued a walk - loading up the bases with no outs. Tim McEndy followed with a pinch-hit 2-RBI single to close the gap to 9-8. Adams then hit Brett Holland and a sac fly off the bat of catcher Bobby Dombrowski tied the game at 9-9.

Adams (1-0) - who entered the game having faced just two over the minimum in five innings - blew the save, but worked out of the inning with the score still even at nine apiece setting up Bubley's two-out heroics in the bottom of the ninth.

After setting down the first two FAU batters of the inning, Steve Sanguilliano (0-1) walked Wilson on a full count. Wilson then stole second and Bubley bounced a 1-2 pitch from Sanguilliano up the middle which plated Wilson from second.

GAME NOTES: Florida Atlantic improves to 25-5 all-time against Monmouth... It was the second-straight year FAU beat Monmouth in walk-off fashion as Alex Silversmith's (2005-'08) homerun last season against the Hawks gave the Owls a 12-11 victory on March 12, 2008 at FAU Stadium... 3B Troy Bubley (.405) assumed the outright lead among Sun Belt players in stolen bases (6-for-6)... The Owls' starting lineup did not include senior everyday starters 2B William Block (.295 BA) and 1B Travis Ozga (.409 BA)... SS Nick DelGuidice (.370 BA) - the 2008 "Defensive Player of the Year" as a true freshman in the Florida Community College Activities Association (FCCAA) - made a series of outstanding defensive plays... Another near perfect night for baseball in South Florida, 76 degrees, sunny and breezy at first pitch.