Schwaner's Walk-Off Home Run Propels UNO Over FAU

Sunday, April 11

New Orleans, La.

1:00 PM

Florida Atlantic

18-14, 0

New Orleans

10-20, 0

Florida Atlantic

New Orleans

4/11/2010 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

April 11, 2010

Box Score

NEW ORLEANS, LA - The Florida Atlantic baseball team erased a one-run deficit in the ninth inning but eventually fell to New Orleans 8-7 on Sunday afternoon. The victory is the first home conference win for UNO as they avoid a sweep for the first time this season in Sun Belt play at Maestri Field.

The Owls (18-14, 9-6) tied the game in the top of the ninth off an Eddie Cassidy solo home run. Then, in the bottom of the ninth, FAU brought in Andy Mee (1-1) to try and send the game into extra innings. Instead, the closer suffered his first loss of the season and allowed a home run to the first batter he faced, Nick Schwaner.

The home run was the second of the game for Schwaner, who went 3-for-5 with four RBI and three runs scored in the series finale.

The Privateers (10-20, 2-13) scored two runs in the seventh inning to take the lead 7-6. Both of the runs were unearned after a Dan Scheffler fielding error kept the inning alive for UNO.

FAU got off to a good start scoring the first four runs of the game to take a 4-0 lead. The rally was capped off by a three-run third inning that saw Raymond Church hit his fourth home run of the season.

Church has now hit safely in eight straight games and has walked a league-high 29 times. The second baseman went 2-for-4 with two runs scored, and one walk in Sunday's affair.

New Orleans however was able to battle back with three runs of their own in the bottom of the third. All off the runs were off Schwaner's first home run of the game to make the score 4-3 in favor of FAU.

The two teams traded a pair of runs in the middle innings as FAU was able to hold onto a slim one-run lead. The two unearned runs in the bottom of the seventh gave New Orleans a lead before FAU was able to tie it in the top of the ninth.

The walk-off blast by Schwaner is the first time the Owls have lost a game in the final at-bat this season.

Kevin Alexander (3-3) got the start for FAU and received a no decision. The right-handed lasted 5.1 innings and gave up eight hits and five runs (four earned) with no walks and four strikeouts.

The Owls will return home and get back to work with a game against Lynn on Tuesday. It will be the first and only meeting between the two Boca Raton rivals this season. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. from the FAU Baseball Stadium.