Santiago Walk-Off Gives Owls 5-4 Win in 11th

Sunday, April 12

Boca Raton, Fla.

12:00 PM

Florida Atlantic

28-8, 11-4

FIU

16-20, 7-8

FIU

Florida Atlantic

4/12/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

April 12, 2015

Box Score

BOCA RATON, Fla. (April 12, 2015) - Senior captain Ricky Santiago hit a sacrifice fly to cap off a 3-for-4 day, plating the walk-off run in the bottom of the 11th as the Florida Atlantic University baseball team defeated FIU 5-4 to win the series.

With the win, the Owls (28-8, 11-4 C-USA) have now matched their 2014 win total with 20 games remaining in the 2015 regular season.

"It was a very good weekend," FAU Head Coach John McCormack said. "This was a heck of a game. I feel bad for FIU because we both played really well, but we were just able to get one more run."

Santiago hit his team-leading 14th double and drew a walk before picking up an RBI in the 11th. Santiago's sacrifice fly was the 14th of his career, the third most in FAU history. Junior Seth McGarry dealt a career-long four innings in relief, allowing only two hits after starter Brandon Rhodes tied his career-high with seven strikeouts.

For the second straight game, FIU (16-20, 7-8 C-USA) opened the game with a run in the top of the first inning.

Santiago led off the second with a single and moved his way to third before coming in to score on an FIU error to tie the game.

Freshman Ryan Miller led off the third with a double, advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Stephen Kerr before Brett Lashley hit his sixth sacrifice fly of the season to plate Miller, putting the Owls up 2-1.

In a tie game in the sixth, Esteban Puerta hit a two-out double and hustled around to score on an infield single by Christian Dicks to take a 3-2 advantage.

The Panthers would come back once more in the seventh on a two-run home run by Edwin Rios to right-center.

Brendon Sanger opened the eighth with a single and moved to third on Santiago's double. Sanger scored on a groundout to tie the game, but the Owls left the bases loaded after two walks. FAU was unable to end the game in regulation, despite back-to-back two-out walks by Sanger and Santiago.

FIU got runners at the corners in the top of the 11th before McGarry shut down a squeeze play to end the threat and put the game back in the hands of the offense.

Kevin Abraham was hit by a pitch to open the bottom of the frame before Lashley singled. Sanger was intentionally walked to load the bases with one out for Santiago. The senior hit a 3-2 pitch to deep left, allowing Abraham to score the winning run, marking Santiago's second walk-off of the season.

The Owls go on the road Tuesday to face FGCU in Fort Myers at 6 p.m. Free audio is available at FAUSports.com.