Florida Atlantic University Athletics
Gipson Stymies Cajuns, But Rain Halts Opener
3/14/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 14, 2009
LAFAYETTE, LA - What was scheduled to be a three-game Sun Belt Conference series between Florida Atlantic University and the University of Louisiana-Lafayette continues to be delayed by rain. Friday night's series-opener was washed out. A double-header was then scheduled for Saturday with a single-game series finale set for Sunday.
But only 8 ½ innings of baseball has been completed. FAU (10-3; 1-2 Sun Belt) sophomore Mike Gipson pitched through an initial rain delay in Game One Saturday, throwing seven innings of one-hit baseball to put the Owls in position to win before play was halted again for a second time in bottom of the ninth inning.
The two schools will return to a rain-soaked M.L. `Tigue' Field Sunday morning to resume Game One at 10 a.m. ET. The Rajin' Cajuns (6-7-1; 1-2 Sun Belt) will be batting with nobody on base in the ninth, down to its last three outs and trailing 5-3.
Weather permitting, the two teams will wrap up the suspended game and attempt to play Game Two before FAU heads back to Boca Raton Sunday afternoon.
Game One: resumes Sunday 10:00 a.m. ET (FAU leads 5-3 in 9th) | Listen Live |
Game Two: 11:00 a.m. ET Sunday | Listen Live |
Game Three: CANCELLED
Before play was stopped for the day...
19 minutes of extra time was needed before first pitch for field preparations following two-straight days of rain. FAU batters then greeted ULL starter Zach Osborne with three consecutive hits. David Wilson led off the game with a single and Troy Bubley and William Block followed with doubles into the outfield gaps to give FAU a quick 2-0 lead.
Block's two-out single in the second inning put FAU up 4-0 and ended Osborne's afternoon after just 1 2/3 innings. ULL's No. 1 starter allowed four runs, five hits, issued a walk and hit a batter, throwing 62 pitches.
Mike Gipson retired five of the first six he faced then rain halted the game for 1 hour and 14 minutes in bottom of the second inning. When play resumed Gipson hit Thad Griffen and walked Kyle Bostick, which loaded the bases. Gipson then struck out Greg Fontenot to end the extended inning and ULL threat.
The first and only ULL hit - which came in the fifth - coupled with a walk, pair of wild pitches and a passed ball added up to a two-run Cajuns' inning which made the score 4-2.
Gipson was sharp through seven innings, allowing just one hit and striking out a career-high eight.
Travis Ozga's team-leading 16th RBI came on a run-scoring double in the top of the ninth, adding an insurance run for senior reliever Chris Schmitt.
Schmitt was attempting to close out the game for Gipson when rain suspended play for the second and final time in the bottom of the ninth.
GAME NOTES: The 3 p.m. ET start time was pushed back to prepare the field, first pitch was at 3:19 ET... Rain delayed the game for 1 hour and 14 minutes in bottom of the second inning... RF Jeremy Griffiths, 2B William Block and 1B Travis Ozga each made exceptional defensive plays in support of RH Mike Gipson. .
