MTSU Rallies to Sweep Florida Atlantic

Sunday, March 22

Murfreesboro, Tenn.

2:00 PM

Florida Atlantic

13-6, 3-5

Middle Tennessee

17-3, 8-1

Florida Atlantic

Middle Tennessee

3/22/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

March 22, 2009

Final Stats

MURFREESBORO, TN - Florida Atlantic University was unable to rebound from Saturday's tough loss to Middle Tennessee State University, dropping the series-finale to the Blue Raiders 14-6 Sunday.

Middle Tennessee State (17-3; 8-1 Sun Belt) completes the three-game sweep of FAU, wrapping up its nine-game homestand 8-1. The league-leading Blue Raiders improve to 13-3 in its newly renovated stadium at Reese Smith Jr. Field.

Rawley Bishop's 2-RBI double in the eighth insured MTSU of Sunday's win and the series sweep while putt him atop the school's all-time RBI list with 169 for his four-year career. Bishop doubled, homered and finished the day with three RBI.

Florida Atlantic (13-6; 3-5 Sun Belt) relinquished a lead for the second straight day. Tom Hatcher homered during a five-run third inning which had put the Owls in front.

With FAU trailing 2-0 in the third David Wilson led-off the inning with a single and scored on Travis Ozga's game-tying 2-RBI single. Nick DelGuidice then singled home William Block from third and Hatcher cleared the bases with a 2-run shot over the fence in left field.

All told, FAU scored five runs in the third on four hits off MTSU starter Jud Stoltz who was pulled after Hatcher put FAU up 5-2.

Two-out doubles by Stuart Meinhart and Drew Robertson generated two Blue Raiders runs in the bottom of the third off FAU lefty Adam Morrison. Meinhart's solo homer off Morrison in the second inning had initiated the scoring.

Morrison lasted just 3 2/3 innings for Florida Atlantic, lifted in favor of Glen Troyanowski (1-3) with the Owls leading 5-4. Troyanowski got Morrison out of a jam by punching-out Bryce Brentz, keeping FAU in front until MTSU erupted for five runs off Troyanowksi in the sixth.

The second time around against Troyanowski was different for Brentz, who homered in the sixth along with Bishop and Tyler Burnett. The three-homer, five-run MTSU sixth inning catapulted the Blue Raiders into the lead 9-6.

MTSU tacked on five more runs in the bottom of the eighth, which included Bishop's record-breaking double.

No rest for the Owls. FAU plays North Dakota State (5-10) tomorrow night, Monday, March 22 at FAU Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. ET. For tickets or more information call 1-866-FAU-Owls.

GAME/SERIES NOTES: Sunday's loss dropped FAU into the middle of the pack in the Sun Belt Conference standings heading into next weekend's home series against Louisiana-Monroe... DH Tom Hatcher went 5-for-12 during the series and is hitting .448 (13-for-29) in FAU's last seven games... The double steal executed by LF David Wilson (.339 BA) and 3B Troy Bubley (.373 BA) Sunday upped Bubley's stolen base numbers to a perfect 7-for-7 on the season... Wilson went 2-for-5 in his return to the lineup Sunday after having missed the last three games to recover from a hamstring injury... 2B William Block (.273 BA) was hit by a pitch three times in the series... LH Barry Rooks (3-0; 3.03 ERA) turned in his fourth straight quality start, allowing just two earned runs pitching into the eighth in Game Two... The series featured two of the Sun Belt's top hitting teams, coming into Friday's opener FAU was batting .336 as a team, MTSU .346... FAU was limited to a season-low two runs in Game One and hit .262 during the three-game set... The FAU bullpen surrendered 11 earned runs in the three games to MTSU's two.