Owls Stymied by USF

Saturday, March 20

Tampa, Fla.

6 PM

Florida Atlantic

10-7

USF

8-8

Florida Atlantic

South Florida

3/20/2021 9:15:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

TAMPA, Fla. – The Florida Atlantic University baseball team saw their series against USF evened up at a game apiece with the Bulls' 4-0 win on Saturday night.

Quotable
Head Coach John McCormack:
"We ran into a really good arm in Burns tonight, but we have to figure out a way to scratch together some runs. Defensively we have to play a tighter game. We will be back at it tomorrow to try and win the series."

The Beginning
USF (8-8) dented the scoreboard in the first, on a two-run home run over the foul pole in left. FAU (10-7) was held without a hit until Mitchell Hartigan led off the fifth with a double. The Owls would have two on after Jared DeSantolo drew a walk, but two groundouts ended the threat.

The Turning Point
After getting out of that jam, the Bulls immediately doubled their lead with two in the home fifth, with the runs scoring on a fielder's choice and a sac fly.

The Finish
In their final four turns, the Owls were held to just one baserunner, a two-out single by Nicholas Toney in the seventh. The eighth and ninth were both 1-2-3 frames.

The Arms

Matt Sparling (2-1) took his first loss of the season, despite allowing just five hits in six innings, and striking out seven
In the seventh, Braden Ostrander came on and needed just 11 pitches for a 1-2-3 inning, including two K's
Sam Drumheller put up a zero as well, in the eighth, allowing just a two-out infield single (that would be erased on a caught stealing by Toney)

The Bats