Florida Atlantic Opens Conference Play with Win Over Rice

Friday, March 21

Boca Raton, Fla.

6:30 p.m.

Florida Atlantic

18-4, 0

Rice

4-18, 0

Rice

Florida Atlantic

Photo by: Jaden Wiston

3/22/2025 12:05:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

BOCA RATON, Fla. – Florida Atlantic baseball started American Athletic Conference play with a 9-3 victory over Rice on Friday night at the FAU Baseball Stadium. FAU (18-4, 1-0 AAC) will look to clinch the series against the visiting Owls (4-18, 0-1 AAC) on Saturday at 4 p.m.

THE BEGINNING

Rice opened the scoring with a solo home run in the top of the first, but it didn't take long for the Florida Atlantic offense to respond. In the bottom of the second, Patrick Ward led off with a double and later scored when Brando Leroux roped a line drive down the left field line.

FAU would take the lead for good in the fourth inning, and Ward and Leroux were again at the center of the action. Ward led off the frame with a solo home run. Leroux lined a one-out single up the middle and would later score thanks to some savvy baserunning. After moving to second base on a Marshall Lipsey base hit, Leroux surprised the Rice outfielder by taking third on a shallow fly ball to left. He would score on the next pitch, a passed ball.

THE TURNING POINT

FAU starter Trey Beard protected the lead with his sixth quality start of the season. Beard racked up 10 strikeouts – the fifth time he's reached double-digit Ks this season. After conceding an unearned run in the sixth, he turned it over to the Owls' bullpen to take it the rest of the way.

After Leroux continued his stellar night with a two-run home run in the bottom of the sixth, Rice put the tying run in scoring position in the seventh. Max Martzolf relieved Steven Andrews with two outs and needed just one pitch to extinguish the fire.

Ayden Garcia launched the Owls' third home run of the night in the bottom of the seventh. The solo shot that sailed over the scoreboard in right field made it 6-3.

THE FINISH

FAU added three more insurance runs in the eighth. Leroux's fourth hit of the night was another single up the middle to drive in Ward, who had walked to start the inning. Later in the frame, John Martinez hugged the left field foul line with a two-out double to bring in Jake Duer.

Now leading 9-3, Braden Ostrander remained in the game for the ninth after pitching a scoreless eighth. He conceded a leadoff double before inducing three straight groundouts to finish the victory.

THE BATS

Ward (2-for-2) and Leroux (4-for-4) combined for five RBI and six runs scored.
Lipsey singled and walked to reach base safely for the 20th straight game.
Garcia's home run was his third of the season. He also walked twice and has reached base safely in 12 straight games.

THE ARMS

Beard improved to 4-0 and lowered his team-leading ERA to 1.91.
With his 10-strikeout performance, the sophomore is now tied for the lead in Division I with 62.
Ostrander recorded his second save of the season with 1.2 scoreless frames.

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