Middle Tennessee Holds Off Owls 8-6

Friday, March 18

Murfreesboro, Tenn.

7:00 PM

Florida Atlantic

13-3, 0

Middle Tennessee

11-7, 0

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Florida Atlantic	1	2	0	2	0	1	0	0	0	6	13	0
Middle Tennessee	5	2	1	0	0	0	0	0	X	8	11	2

3/18/2016 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

March 18, 2016

Final Stats

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. â€" The Florida Atlantic University baseball team brought the tying run to the plate in each of the final four innings, but was unable to score as Middle Tennessee survived for an 8-6 win in the Conference USA opener on Friday.

The Owls (13-3, 0-1 C-USA) tallied 13 hits on the night, led by Stephen Kerr who recorded three hits, an RBI and a run scored while Brett Lashley went 2-for-3 with two RBI and a run.

Brandon Rhodes suffered the loss, allowing ten hits with four strikeouts over six innings of work. Senior Robbie Coursel dealt two innings of shutout relief with three strikeouts.

FAU loaded the bases to open the game with singles by Kerr, Billy Endris and CJ Chatham before Christian Dicks hit a sacrifice fly to give the Owls a 1-0 run before FAU left two stranded.

MT (11-6, 1-0 C-USA) responded by loading the bases with no outs, setting up Aaron Aucker for a grand slam. Two batters later, Blake Benefield crushed a ball over the left-center wall to extend the lead to 5-1.

Austin Langham was hit by a pitch and freshman Tyler Frank singled to lead off the second before Lashley singled to drive in Langham with no outs. Kerr grounded into a double play, but it allowed Frank to cross the plate to cut the lead to two.

Again the Blue Raiders struck back in the bottom of the frame as Brad Jarreau hit a two-run homer to put the lead back to four runs. Back-to-back doubles in the third extended the advantage to 8-3.

Back-to-back walks by Frank and Lashley in the fourth set Kerr up for a single up the middle to drive in Frank while an error by Jarreau allowed Lashley to cross the plate, slicing the lead to three.

Langham led off the sixth with a double and Frank walked before Lashley recorded his second RBI on a single to right. The second double play of the game, however, ended the threat.

FAU had the tying run on first with no outs in the seventh, but MT coaxed two flyouts and a strikeout to keep the Owls at bay. Rhodes and Coursel combined to allow just one runner on base over the final 11 MT batters of the game, but the Owls were unable to slice into the lead.

FAU and MT will square off at Noon ET on Saturday, March 19. The game will be televised on Fox Sports Networks and free audio is available on FAUSports.com.