Florida Atlantic University Athletics
Florida Atlantic
21-9-1, 9-3
Charlotte
17-15, 6-6
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Runs R | Hits H | Errors E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida Atlantic | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 12 | 2 |
| Charlotte | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | X | 11 | 12 | 0 |
Baseball Falls Prey to Big First Inning in Sunday Loss
4/9/2017 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Charlotte scored 10 runs in their first at-bat and took game three of the weekend conference series against the Florida Atlantic University baseball team, 11-5 at Hayes Stadium on Sunday.
The Turning Point
FAU (21-9-1, 9-3 Conference USA) loaded the bases with three consecutive batters in the top of the first, but Charlotte starter Zach Flanagan got two strikeouts and a flyout for a scoreless inning. Then in the bottom half, the first 10 batters for the 49ers (17-15, 6-6 C-USA) reached, and all scored, digging a tremendous early hole for the Owls' bats.
The Finish
That the Owls were able to keep it a manageable game is due to the fantastic relief outings by Nick Prather and Blake Sanderson. The two combined to only allow one run in 6 2/3 innings of work, and in that time, FAU scraped across five runs, and would end up outhitting the 49ers on the day
Notables
- Prather was the first Owls' reliever, and allowed just an unearned run and four hits on his ledger
- Sanderson pitched into the seventh, giving up just two hits and no runs
- The top three batters in the FAU lineup - Tyler Frank, Jared Shouppe and Esteban Puerta - had three hits apiece and combined for nine of the team's 12. They were 9-for-13
- Frank and Shouppe each scored two runs, and Shouppe had a two-run home run in the seventh
- Eric Rivera opened up the FAU scoring with a solo shot in the second
- Jordan Poore picked up his second extra base hit in as many days, a double
- Despite the loss, the Owls remain undefeated in weekend series (7-0-1)
- With losses by Southern Miss (10-2 C-USA) and Old Dominion (9-3) on Sunday also, the Owls stay tied with the latter for second, one game behind the former in the league standings
Quotable
"Today wasn't a great performance, but getting a series win on the road is always good," said Head Coach John McCormack. "Credit to Charlotte; they had their back against the wall and salvaged the series. There were some good individual performances today by Shouppe and Sanderson."
What's Next
The Owls hit the road for a midweek matchup with UCF this upcoming Tuesday, at 6:30 p.m. in Orlando, and return home for three games next weekend vs. Marshall.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Zach Flanagan (3-3)
L: Miednik, Jake (4-2)
S: Jonah Patten (5)
Batting:
2B: Frank, Tyler 1 ; Poore, Jordan 1
HR: Shouppe, Jared 1 ; Rivera, Eric 1
RBI: Shouppe, Jared 2 ; Puerta, Esteban 1 ; Miranda, David 1 ; Rivera, Eric 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Frank, Tyler 2 ; Shouppe, Jared 2 ; Rivera, Eric 1
Batting:
2B: Reece Hampton 1 ; T.J. Nichting 1
HR: Logan Sherer 1
RBI: Reece Hampton 2 ; Jackson Mims 1 ; T.J. Nichting 1 ; Zach Jarrett 1 ; Logan Sherer 4 ; Hunter Jones 1
SH: Hunter Jones 1
SF: Jackson Mims 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Reece Hampton 2 ; Jackson Mims 1 ; Brett Netzer 1 ; T.J. Nichting 2 ; Zach Jarrett 1 ; Logan Sherer 1 ; Zack Smith 1 ; Hunter Jones 1 ; Eddie Hull 1
CS: Brett Netzer 1
