Upcoming Event: Baseball at USF on May 3, 2026 at 1 p.m.
1 p.m.
Baseball
at USF
Florida Atlantic University Athletics
Saturday, May 2
Tampa, Fla.
12 p.m.
Florida Atlantic
24-22, 10-10
6
at
5
USF
28-18, 7-13
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Runs R | Hits H | Errors E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FAU | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 11 | 1 |
| South Florida | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 10 | 1 |
Carson KImball
Owls Hold Off USF to Clinch 4th Straight Weekend Series
5/2/2026 4:17:00 PM | Baseball
TAMPA, Fla. – Xavier Moronta hit a pinch-hit two-run home run in the ninth inning to lift Florida Atlantic baseball (24-22, 10-10) over South Florida (28-18, 7-13), 6-5, on Saturday in Tampa. The Owls have won four straight weekend series and will be on the hunt for a sweep on Sunday.
THE BEGINNING
The Owls opened the scoring in the top of the third. After a two-out single by Brando Leroux, Marshall Lipsey lined a base hit up the middle. The USF center fielder mishandled it, allowing Leroux to score all the way from first.
The Bulls tied the game with a pair of hits in the ensuing half-inning before the Owls went back in front in the fourth. Brett Patten and John Martinez recorded back-to-back two-out doubles to make it 2-1.
Nick Romano singled home Jonathan Lopez in the fifth to bump the lead up to two before USF once again tied the game at 3-3 in the bottom of the frame.
THE TURNING POINT
The game remained knotted going into the ninth inning. Martinez led off with a single and, with one out, Moronta pinch-hit for Lopez. The graduate senior picked the right time for his first home run as an Owl. Moronta took the first pitch he saw and drove it well over the right field fence to put the Owls up 5-3. Later in the frame, Romano would add a crucial insurance run with a single that drove in Leroux.
THE FINISH
The Bulls answered in the bottom of the ninth with three straight singles to start the inning. They cut the Owls' lead to one before FAU's Carson Kimball induced a two-out, bases loaded pop-up to secure the 6-5 victory.
QUOTABLE
Head Coach John McCormack
THE BATS
THE ARMS
WHAT'S NEXT
The series finale is set for 1 p.m. on Sunday and it will air on ESPN+.
FOLLOW THE OWLS
To stay up to date on all things Florida Atlantic baseball, follow us on social media @faubaseball.
THE BEGINNING
The Owls opened the scoring in the top of the third. After a two-out single by Brando Leroux, Marshall Lipsey lined a base hit up the middle. The USF center fielder mishandled it, allowing Leroux to score all the way from first.
The Bulls tied the game with a pair of hits in the ensuing half-inning before the Owls went back in front in the fourth. Brett Patten and John Martinez recorded back-to-back two-out doubles to make it 2-1.
Nick Romano singled home Jonathan Lopez in the fifth to bump the lead up to two before USF once again tied the game at 3-3 in the bottom of the frame.
THE TURNING POINT
The game remained knotted going into the ninth inning. Martinez led off with a single and, with one out, Moronta pinch-hit for Lopez. The graduate senior picked the right time for his first home run as an Owl. Moronta took the first pitch he saw and drove it well over the right field fence to put the Owls up 5-3. Later in the frame, Romano would add a crucial insurance run with a single that drove in Leroux.
XAVIER MORONTA!!! PINCH-HIT 🚀!!! OWLS LEAD IN THE 9th!!! pic.twitter.com/uO69v6mMm8
— Florida Atlantic Baseball (@FAUBaseball) May 2, 2026
THE FINISH
The Bulls answered in the bottom of the ninth with three straight singles to start the inning. They cut the Owls' lead to one before FAU's Carson Kimball induced a two-out, bases loaded pop-up to secure the 6-5 victory.
QUOTABLE
Head Coach John McCormack
Postgame with @FAUCoachMac #WIP🏝️ pic.twitter.com/qdVn81xxRs
— Florida Atlantic Baseball (@FAUBaseball) May 2, 2026
THE BATS
- Martinez finished 2-for-3 and extended his hitting streak to 15 games.
- Romano and Michael Perazza recorded multi-hit games for the second consecutive day.
THE ARMS
- Kide Adetuyi struck out seven in six innings.
- Garrett Grant pitched the seventh and eighth innings and started the ninth before handing it off to Kimball for the save.
- Kimball earned his second save of the season.
WHAT'S NEXT
The series finale is set for 1 p.m. on Sunday and it will air on ESPN+.
FOLLOW THE OWLS
To stay up to date on all things Florida Atlantic baseball, follow us on social media @faubaseball.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Grant, Garrett (2-4)
L: SUTTON, Ethan (2-3)
S: Kimball, Carson (2)
Batting:
2B: Perazza, Michael 1 ; Patten, Brett 1 ; Martinez, John 1
HR: Moronta, Xavier 1
RBI: Romano, Nick 2 ; Martinez, John 1 ; Moronta, Xavier 2
SH: Lipsey, Marshall 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Patten, Brett 1 ; Martinez, John 1 ; Lopez, Jonathan 1 ; Moronta, Xavier 1 ; Leroux, Brando 2
HBP: Collier, Ian 1
Batting:
RBI: RELAFORD, Jevin 1 ; LUTZ, Jack 3 ; MIRZA, Jackson 1
SH: RELAFORD, Jevin 1
Base Running:
RUNS: PRUITT, Ryan 1 ; GEIGER, Jackson 1 ; MIRZA, Jackson 1 ; GREEN, Jacob 2
SB: LUTZ, Jack 2
Game Leaders
AB
5
R
0
H
2
RBI
2
AB
5
R
0
H
2
RBI
0
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
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