Baseball Takes Opener in Biloxi

Wednesday, May 22

Biloxi, Miss.

5:00 PM

Florida Atlantic

38-18

UTSA

26-29

UTSA

Florida Atlantic

5/23/2019 12:12:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

BILOXI, Miss. – The top-seeded and No. 29 Florida Atlantic University baseball team outlasted UTSA on Wednesday night in the opening round of The First 2019 C-USA Baseball Championship, winning 6-5 despite the Roadrunners having the bases loaded with one out in the ninth inning.

Quotable

Head Coach John McCormack:
"What a game, two of the First Team All-Conference guys square off and they don't factor in (the end). Our guys kept charging, their guys kept charging, and we get the double play at the end … It's a great victory."

Full Opening Statement from Coach Mac

The Turning Point
The Owls (38-18) scored twice in the first and second innings, but UTSA (26-29) scrapped back with three in the third to cut it to one. FAU went back up by two on an Eric Rivera single in the third, but the Roadrunners got two more – one in the fourth and another in the sixth – to tie the game at 5-5 heading into the bottom of the sixth. In that frame, Pedro Pages led off with a single, and a fielder's choice and flyout put two outs on the board, but a single by Mitchell Hartigan and walk to Joe Montes loaded the bases. The Owls would then take the lead on a wild pitch.

The Finish
Both teams were kept off the board for the seventh and eighth, with each half of the seventh going 1-2-3 (the only two frames that went that way on the night). A single and sacrifice put the tying run on second for UTSA in the eighth, and the Owls turned to Zach Schneider, who ended the frame with consecutive strikeouts. The Roadrunner ninth started with a double and an error, putting runners at second and third. Schneider struck out the lefthanded-batting Ryan Stacy, then issued an intentional walk to load the bases. The gamble paid off, as two pitches later, Bryan Sturges grounded into a game-ending double play, with Francisco Urbaez stepping on the second base bag and throwing to first to clinch the win.

The Arms

Blake Sanderson (8-2) got the win despite giving up a season high in earned runs
Dylan O'Connell pitched the flawless seventh
For Schneider, it was his 15th save, and included three punchouts

The Bats

Four Owls had two hits towards the team's 10: Rivera, Urbaez, Andru Summerall and Mitchell Hartigan
Rivera scored twice out of the leadoff slot
Urbaez got the scoring started with a single in the first; Hartigan followed with an RBI groundout
In the second, Summerall plated one with a single while Pages added a sac fly

What's Next

The Owls will play in the fourth game on Thursday, scheduled to start at 8:30 p.m. Eastern, against the winner of Old Dominion and WKU.