BOCA RATON, Fla. – The Florida Atlantic University baseball team broke open a 1-1 game with five in the sixth, with newcomer
Jackson Spiller throwing five fantastic innings in a spot start Friday, towards a 6-2 win over Seton Hall.
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Head Coach
John McCormack:
"I thought (
Jackson Spiller) did great. It was kind of a last-minute thing, we made the decision late afternoon yesterday, and he gave up exactly one run in five innings. I thought it was a great start."
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The Beginning
The Pirates (1-2) scored first, on a two-out single in the second, but an inning later,
Jackson Wenstrom knotted things up for FAU (4-1) with a titanic blast just to the right of the batter's eye in center.
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The Turning Point
Spiller settled down with three more scoreless innings, and
Adrien Reese utilized a double play in the first of his two frames, in the sixth. In the bottom of that inning, BJ Murray led things off with a triple, and scored the go-ahead run on a
Nolan Schanuel sacrifice fly. But the Owls weren't done, as
Bobby Morgensen immediately followed with a solo shot;
Nicholas Toney reached on a walk and was doubled to third by
Mitchell Hartigan; they both came in on a
Jared DeSantolo double; and he scored on a passed ball.
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The Finish
After Reese pitched another zero in the seventh, Seton Hall got one in the eighth, but no more.
Brock Helverson wrapped the victory with a 1-2-3 ninth.
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The Arms
- Spiller's final in his first start as an Owl was five innings, three hits, just the one run, and four strikeouts
- Reese added two K's in his two zeroes, moving to 2-0 on the year; Helverson had three for a total of nine for the trio
The Bats
- Morgensen and Wenstrom each clubbed their second homers of the year
- Wenstrom and Hartigan both had two hits; Murray reached three times with the triple and two walks (as did Wenstrom with a walk as well)
- Schanuel took the team lead with his ninth RBI; DeSantolo recorded his team-best eighth run scored
The Owls and Pirates will have a 4 p.m. first pitch on Saturday. Only student tickets remain at the gate.
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