Owls Finish Off Villanova Sweep in Seven Innings

Sunday, March 1

Boca Raton, Fla.

12 p.m.

Florida Atlantic

6-5

Villanova

2-6

Villanova

Florida Atlantic

Photo by: JC Ridley

3/1/2026 5:17:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

BOCA RATON, Fla. – Florida Atlantic baseball racked up season highs in hits and runs for the third straight day in a 15-5, seven-inning victory over Villanova on Sunday at the FAU Baseball Stadium. The Owls swept the series and moved to 6-5 overall on the season.

THE TURNING POINT
The Owls blitzed the Wildcats for six runs in the first inning. A two-RBI triple by Brando Leroux opened the scoring. Brett Patten singled Leroux home to make it 3-0. After a John Martinez bunt single, Patrick Ward lined a double down the left field line to bring in two more. Kyle Boylston nearly had his second home run of the season but settled for a sacrifice fly. Finally, TJ Gramesty went to the opposite field for a two-out base hit to bring Ward home and make it 6-0. That signaled the end for Villanova starter Carson Finnvold after just two-thirds of an inning.

The Owls scored four more in the second, highlighted by a two-run homer off the bat of Patten. Boylston and Gramesty also recorded RBI for the second consecutive inning.

THE FINISH
Boylston roped the Owls' second RBI triple of the day off the center field wall in the fifth inning, and Marshall Lipsey followed with an opposite-field double to run the lead up to 12-0. Villanova chipped away, drawing as close as 12-4 in the top of the sixth.

The Owls kept the Wildcats at bay with another two-RBI hit from Leroux in the sixth. The senior's fourth knock of the day made it 14-4. Villanova scored a run in the top of the seventh to extend the game to another half inning, but Xavier Moronta responded with an RBI single in the bottom of the inning to end the day on the run-rule (10 runs after seven).

QUOTABLE
Head Coach John McCormack

Postgame with @FAUCoachMac #WIP🏝️ pic.twitter.com/9fS4vwRg9x

— Florida Atlantic Baseball (@FAUBaseball) March 1, 2026

THE BATS

The Owls finished with a season high 20 hits.
Florida Atlantic scored 37 runs in the three-game series, surpassing its total from the first seven games of the season combined (26).
Leroux led the way, finishing 4-for-5 with four RBI, two runs scored, and his first career triple.
Ward and Romano each posted 3-for-5 lines. Ward singled twice and doubled. All three of Romano's hits were singles.
Boylston's three RBI ran his season total up to six.
Martinez singled twice and scored three runs.
Patten's home run was his first as an Owl.

THE ARMS

Freshman Garrett Grant continued a strong start to his FAU career with four shutout innings.
He struck out five, walked two, and allowed three hits.

WHAT'S NEXT
The Owls hit the road for the first time when they travel to Gainesville on Tuesday to face No. 10 Florida. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. on SEC Network+.