Owls Eliminate Charlotte, Advance to AAC Semifinals

Friday, May 24

Clearwater. Fla.

4:30 p.m.

Florida Atlantic

28-28

Charlotte

24-34

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Charlotte	0	1	0	0	4	0	3	0	0	8	7	1
Florida Atlantic	1	1	3	3	0	2	0	0	X	10	7	3

Photo by: Connor Kvatek/AAC

5/24/2024 10:33:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score AAC Tournament Central

CLEARWATER, Fla. – Florida Atlantic baseball defeated Charlotte 10-8 on Friday afternoon to extend its season another day. The Owls will need to beat Tulane twice on Saturday to claim their spot in Sunday's Championship game.

THE BEGINNING

The Owls (28-28) scored in each of the first four innings on Friday. John Schroeder got the party started with a solo homer in the first. After Charlotte tied it with a home run of their own in the top of the second, Jake Millan blasted a 454-foot solo shot to put FAU back on top in the bottom of the frame.

Millan did it again in the third. This time, with two runners on, the switch hitter connected from the left side of the plate to put the Owls up 5-1. FAU added three in the fourth to lead 8-1.

THE TURNING POINT

Charlotte did not go quietly. They cut the deficit to 8-5 in the fifth before a Daulton Frank RBI single and a wild pitch gave the Owls a 10-5 advantage with nine outs to go.

THE FINISH

The 49ers' Kaden Hopson hit his second home run of the game in the seventh to bring Charlotte within two. The Owls' brought their closer, Danny Trehey, in the for the eighth. The first two reached but a double play followed by a strikeout ended the threat with the 10-8 lead still intact. Trehey then made quick work of the ninth to send the Owls to Saturday's semifinal round.

QUOTABLE

Postgame with @FAUCoachMac #WinningInParadise pic.twitter.com/SSRJJs2e3e
— Florida Atlantic Baseball (@FAUBaseball) May 25, 2024

THE BATS

Millan, Schroeder, and Spencer Rich led the offense with two hits each.
The trio also combined to score six of the Owls' 10 runs.
Millan tied his career high (set 10 days ago) with four RBI.

THE ARMS

The Owls used six pitchers starting with Brandon Smith for three and two-thirds.
Max Martzolf got the last out of the fourth and the first out of the fifth before turning it over to Steven Andrews.
Sam Drumheller pitched 1.1 scoreless and was ultimately deemed the winning pitcher.
Braden Ostrander got two quick outs in the seventh before an error eventually led to the home run and three unearned runs.
Trehey walked two and struck out two in two innings to record his eighth save.

WHAT'S NEXT

The Owls will need to beat Tulane twice on Saturday. Game one's estimated first pitch is 12:30 p.m. Game two start time would be to be determined based on the result of East Carolina and Wichita State.