FAU Drops Finale, Must Wait on Postseason Fate

Saturday, May 16

Boca Raton, Fla.

1:00 PM

Florida Atlantic

29-24, 0

FIU

34-21, 0

FIU

Florida Atlantic

5/16/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

May 16, 2009

Final Stats | LIVE SCORING: ULL @ UNO

BOCA RATON, FL - FIU avoided being swept by rival Florida Atlantic University, winning 17-10 Saturday and put the Owls' postseason hopes in the hands of the University of Louisiana-Lafayette. Left-handed power hitter Tyler Townsend homered twice for the Golden Panthers, who used a nine-run fourth inning to establish a comfortable lead.

Florida Atlantic (29-24; 12-17 Sun Belt) is battling it out with five other SBC teams to qualify for the league tournament. Even with the loss, if Louisiana-Lafayette defeats the University of New Orleans this afternoon the Owls would finish 8th in the league standings and make the tournament.

FIU (34-21; 18-12 Sun Belt) - assured of the league's No. 4 seed - scored a run in each of the first three innings to take a 4-1 lead. Townsend hit a solo shot in the first inning and Tom Jobe drove in a pair on a two-out single in the third.

Owls outfielder Jeremy Griffiths homered twice and finished the afternoon 4-for-6 with 4 RBI. Griffiths went deep for the second straight game, his first homer was part of a five-run FAU third inning which gave the Owls its only lead, 6-4.

FIU's early offense made it a quick outing for freshman lefty Brent Adheen who was lifted in the third. The FAU relief corps got the Owls into all kinds of trouble in the fourth, walking five which fueled a nine-run Golden Panthers inning. Hugh Adams (3-2) would take the loss. Owls' pitchers walked eight and allowed 15 hits.

Seniors William Block and David Wilson had 3-hit games for an Owls' offense that scored 10 runs on 18 hits. Block went 3-for-5 and tied the school's all-time hits record (289) on his third hit of the day in the sixth.

Despite allowing 15 hits and laboring through 5 2/3 innings, FIU head coach Turtle Thomas stuck with right-hander Daniel DeSimone (5-4) into the sixth.

Griffiths homered for a second time in the bottom of the seventh, a two-run shot down the right-field line which cut the lead to five, 15-10, but that would be as close as FAU would get.

GAME NOTES: FAU senior William Block now holds or shares FAU all-time records in hits, runs, RBI, doubles, total bases and is one away from the homerun mark... The game was the regular season finale for both clubs... The conference tournament will be held in Troy, Alabama Wednesday May 20 through Saturday May 23.