Owls Earn Series Victory over Villanova

Saturday, February 28

Boca Raton, Fla.

12 p.m.

Florida Atlantic

5-5

Villanova

2-5

Villanova

Florida Atlantic

Photo by: JESSICA VERNOF

2/28/2026 4:32:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

BOCA RATON, Fla. – Florida Atlantic baseball (5-5) logged 15 hits for the second straight day on the way to an 11-5 victory over Villanova (2-5) on Saturday afternoon. The Owls will go for the sweep on Sunday.

THE BEGINNING
Villanova scored two in the top of the third, but the Owls responded immediately in the bottom of the inning. After Kyle Boylston and Marshall Lipsey were each hit by a pitch, Nick Romano connected on a three-run home run to right field. Later, a Brando Leroux RBI single in the fifth inning made it 4-2.

THE TURNING POINT
FAU starter Tyler Murphy went four innings before turning it over to Zach Kilby for his first appearance of the season. Kilby set the Wildcats down in order in the fifth and then recorded an immaculate inning – nine strikes on nine pitches – to make quick work of Villanova in the sixth.

The Owls pulled away for good with seven runs in the bottom of the frame. Ian Collier and Eli Small recorded run-scoring hits. Two more hit batters, plus an error, also contributed to the big inning.

THE FINISH
Villanova scored two in the eighth and one in the ninth, but the comeback hopes stopped there as the Owls held on to secure the series victory.

QUOTABLE
Head Coach John McCormack

Postgame with @FAUCoachMac #WIP🏝️ pic.twitter.com/vuW9ZpAJNw
— Florida Atlantic Baseball (@FAUBaseball) February 28, 2026

THE BATS

Five different Owls finished with multi-hit games.
Michael Perazza and John Martinez each accomplished the feat for the second straight day, each going 2-for-4.
Collier, Leroux, and Small also logged two hits apiece.
Romano's home run was his second of the season. He finished with four RBI to bring his season total to eight.
Freshman Jonathan Lopez pinch-hit in the eighth inning and recorded a double for his first collegiate hit.

THE ARMS

Murphy allowed two runs on four hits in four innings. He struck out three and walked one.
Kilby fanned four of the six batters he faced. The immaculate inning was the Owls' second in the last four years (Robert Wegielnik on April 2, 2022).
The Owls used seven pitchers, including Patrick Ward, who needed just one pitch to escape the seventh inning. It was the senior infielder's first career appearance on the mound.

WHAT'S NEXT
The Owls will go for the sweep at 12:05 p.m. on Sunday afternoon before heading to Gainesville on Tuesday, March 3, to face No. 10 Florida.