Florida Atlantic University Athletics
Florida Atlantic
14-8, 0
Middle Tennessee
5-14, 0
Baseball Wins Opener Against Middle Tennessee
3/25/2011 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 25, 2011
Final Stats
Post Game Interviews 1
Post Game Interviews 2
Post Game Interviews 2
Boca Raton, Fla. - The Florida Atlantic University baseball team scored nine runs in the last three innings to take the opening game in a Sun Belt Conference weekend series against Middle Tennessee State University with a 12-4 victory on Friday evening at the FAU Baseball Stadium.
FAU improves to 14-8 on the season and 3-1 in league play while Middle Tennessee falls to 5-14 this spring and is still winless in conference action (0-4). The two teams will play the second game of the three-game set on Saturday, starting at 4 p.m.
Trailing 4-3 in the sixth inning, the Owls seized momentum in the game by scoring five runs on four base hits from four hitters at the top of the lineup. The rally started with senior infielder Sean Bukovich and senior designated hitter Eddie Cassidy drawing walks from Blue Raiders' starting pitcher Daniel Palo. After a pitching change, junior infielder Joey Burkhalter lined a double to left field to tie the game, 4-4, as Bukovich scored from second base. Senior outfielder Colby Gratton drove in Cassidy with a base hit to right field to give FAU the lead for good at 5-4.
Later in the frame, Burkhalter came home on a sacrifice fly out by senior second baseman Raymond Church, and junior catcher Mike Albaladejo executed a perfect hit-and-run situation with a double down the left field line. That drove in Gratton from first base to give the Owls a 6-3 advantage. Senior outfielder Andy Mee rounded out the scoring in the inning with a base hit through the left side of the infield to plate Albaladejo. The hosts enjoyed an 8-4 lead when all the dust had settled -- scoring the five runs on four base hits and scored all five runs in five consecutive batters.
FAU added four insurance runs in the eighth inning to win its third consecutive league game. Bukovich drove home two runs with a single and senior shortstop Nick DelGuidice had a RBI double.
Owls' starting pitcher Ryan Garton received a no-decision even though he pitched into the sixth inning for the second time this season. He struck out two batters and scattered seven hits in 5.1 innings. Junior reliever Josh Gonzaga picked up the win to improve to 4-2 on the season by retiring two batters in the sixth inning. Sophomore Jake Meiers recorded his first career save after tossing three scoreless innings.
DelGuidice paced the 10-hit offensive attack, going 3-for-5 with three RBIs. Mee also recorded multiple hits and scored two runs.
The visiting Blue Raiders took an early 3-0 lead, scoring two runs in the second inning. Ryan Stephens lined a single to center field to score Will Skinner to begin the scoring. Justin Guidry scored on a sacrifice fly by Matthew Drake. Hank LaRue led off the third inning with a triple and later scored on a RBI ground out to Tyler Acker.
Then, the Owls battled back to draw within one run at 3-2 with two runs in the fourth inning. DelGuidice lined a two-run single to left field that scored Mee and senior first baseman Dan Scheffler. Gratton scored on a wild pitch in the fifth inning to tie the game at three apiece.
MTSU starting pitcher Daniel Palo fell to 0-3 on the season allowing five runs in five innings. Offensively, the team was led by Guidry's three hits while LaRue, Skinner and Ford each tallied two hits.
Season and individual tickets of Florida Atlantic baseball games are available by calling the FAU Ticket Office at 1-866-FAU-OWLS.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Gonzaga, Josh (4-2)
L: Palo (0-3)
S: Meiers, Jake (1)
Batting:
2B: LaRue 1 ; Guidry 1
3B: LaRue 1
RBI: Acker 1 ; Stephens 1 ; Drake 1 ; Ford 1
SH: Lawrence 1
SF: Drake 1
Base Running:
RUNS: LaRue 1 ; Skinner 1 ; Guidry 2
CS: Stephens 1
Batting:
2B: Albaladejo, Mike 1 ; DelGuidice, Nick 1 ; Burkhalter, Joey 1
RBI: Church, Raymond 1 ; Albaladejo, Mike 1 ; Mee, Andy 1 ; Bukovich, Sean 2 ; DelGuidice, Nick 3 ; Burkhalter, Joey 1 ; Gratton, Colby 1
SF: Church, Raymond 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Church, Raymond 1 ; Albaladejo, Mike 2 ; Mee, Andy 2 ; Scheffler, Dan 1 ; Bukovich, Sean 1 ; Buckley, Robert 1 ; Cassidy, Eddie 1 ; Burkhalter, Joey 1 ; Gratton, Colby 2
SB: Albaladejo, Mike 1 ; Mee, Andy 2 ; Gratton, Colby 1
HBP: Scheffler, Dan 1
