Owls Drop Middle Game to Memphis

Saturday, April 12

Boca Raton, Fla.

4 p.m.

Florida Atlantic

24-10, 6-5

Memphis

13-21, 2-9

Memphis

Florida Atlantic

4/12/2025 9:34:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

BOCA RATON, Fla. – Florida Atlantic baseball slugged a pair of three-run home runs against Memphis on Saturday afternoon, but it was not enough as the Tigers took the middle game of the weekend series by an 8-7 final. The Owls (24-10, 6-5) and the Tigers (13-21, 2-9) will square off in the series finale at noon on Sunday.

THE BEGINNING

The teams traded runs in the opening inning, with the Owls equalizing on a John Schroeder infield single that scored Marshall Lipsey. It was 2-1 Memphis in the third when Jake Millan delivered a one-out, three-run blast over the wall in left to give the Owls their first lead.

Memphis responded with two runs to tie the game in the fourth and then went ahead with two more in the fifth. Lipsey provided the answer for the Owls in the home half of the fifth. After a one-out single by Dylan LaPointe, Nick Romano lined a rocket back up the middle that knocked the glove off the hand of the Tigers' pitcher. The throw to first would have beat Romano had the first baseman secured it. Instead, the error set the table for Lipsey, who launched a towering shot into the trees in centerfield.

TURNING POINT

The Tigers provided another quick response in the sixth. A one-out hit-by-pitch, an Owls' throwing error, and a base hit tied the game at 7-7.

Florida Atlantic had opportunities with runners in scoring position in the seventh and eighth innings but failed to capitalize on both situations.

THE FINISH

Memphis tagged reliever Steven Andrews for a single and a double on the first two batters of the ninth. Freshman Kide Adetuyi allowed a single to drive in the go-ahead run. Adetuyi induced a ground ball followed by two strikeouts to escape a bases-loaded jam and keep the deficit at one.

Romano led off the bottom of the ninth with a single, but the Owls could not cash in again. Three consecutive strikeouts ended the game and evened the series for Memphis.

THE BATS

FAU out-hit Memphis 14-13. Romano and Schroeder led the way, each finishing 3-for-5.
LaPointe doubled and singled.
Lipsey reached base safely for the 31st game in a row with two walks and a hit-by-pitch, in addition to his ninth home run.
Jake Duer doubled and singled to finish 2-for-3. He now has 18 multi-hit games.

THE ARMS

Tyler Murphy was tagged for six runs on eight hits in 4.2 innings.
Max Martzolf recorded the last out of the fifth inning and faced one batter in the sixth.
Joey Abbazia got the first two outs of the sixth. He picked a runner off at first but later committed a throwing error on another pickoff attempt. That runner would eventually come around to score.
Zach Kilby was dominant for the fourth straight outing. The junior lefty held Memphis scoreless for 2.1 innings with just one hit allowed.
Andrews took the loss to fall to 2-2.

QUOTABLE

Head coach John McCormack
"That was disappointing. Credit to Memphis, but we had plenty of opportunities. We left 13 guys on base. And it wasn't even that we left that many on… it was the at-bats themselves that were not good. On the other side, we gave them some extra chances. We had guys 0-2… walk. 1-2… hit by pitch. We just weren't good enough. But we've still got a chance to win the series tomorrow."

WHAT'S NEXT

The Owls and Tigers will square off in the rubber game at noon on Sunday on ESPN+.