Panthers lose to Owls in Extra Innings; Extend Losing Streak

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MIAMI, FL – With the series shifting back home for FIU Baseball, they were able to keep FAU within close range throughout the game. It was a night full of back-and-forth baseball with both teams having their own momentum swings.

Both squads had opportunities to the lead in the ninth but were unable to. Going into the 11th, the Panthers would go on to lose to the Owls in extra innings, extending their losing streak to four games.

FAU and FIU Trade Leads

Andrew Ildefonso got the Panthers on the scoreboard. With the bases loaded, he singled into left field, scoring Cooper Rassmussen.

Ildy gets us rolling ✅ pic.twitter.com/Suzjnqjb0S

— FIU Baseball (@FIUBaseball) March 7, 2026

The Owls were able to sneak in a hit in the third, but George Adams was locked in on the mound. Making his fourth start of the season, the southpaw was getting outs on the ground and through strikeouts. In the fourth inning, he struck out the side.

Tied at one apiece, FIU’s home run leader, Mario Trivella, connected on his sixth long ball of the season to put them ahead 2-1.

Mario with a TANK for the solo HR! 💥 pic.twitter.com/D7HdTvxZCb

— FIU Baseball (@FIUBaseball) March 8, 2026

Adams went back on the field in the sixth, but after allowing two runners on base, he was pulled. Still, he had a phenomenal outing with a career-high of eight strikeouts. He allowed five hits, three runs, and three walks in his 96-pitch, five-inning outing.

STRIKE OUT THE SIDE MR. ADAMS 😱 @George_Adams12 with a new career-high in Ks (8) pic.twitter.com/ydmT90v4U6

— FIU Baseball (@FIUBaseball) March 8, 2026

Florida Atlantic was able to score two runs to go ahead 3-2 in the sixth, but Tyrus Riley was able to record three outs of his own. He smooth-sailed through the seventh inning. With five appearances under his belt so far, Riley has been FIU’s most consistent relief pitcher. He carries a 2.25 ERA and a .080 opponent’s batting average.

Enrique Sierra came in the eighth and retired the side. At the bottom of the frame, Aris Rivera tripled, setting the stage for FIU to get a productive run. They did just that as Caden Sammler tied the game at three with a sacrifice fly.

Bot 8th
FAU 3 | FIU 3

Caden Sammler hits a sac fly to tie this game up again#FIU | #Panthers | #PawsUp pic.twitter.com/ibDgIMDMND

— Ricardo Urrusuno (@RickScores) March 8, 2026

 

Extra-Innings Galore

After the Owls threatened at the start of the ninth, Bryce Turner came in relief, and he was able to prevent them from doing anything else. In the bottom of the ninth, the Panthers had the heart of the order up to bat. With Samuel Fischer on third and one out, FAU elected to intentionally walk Aidan Cohall and Andrew Ildefonso. However, the hype would end in disappointment with back-to-back strikeout at-bats from Enrique Alvarez Jr. and Trey Freeman.

Turner came back to deliver a 1-2-3 inning in the 10th with a trio of strikeouts.

BT OH MY! HE STRIKES OUT THE SIDE IN THE TENTH 😱 @Brycet_27 | #PawsUp pic.twitter.com/8FH7A41QVp

— FIU Baseball (@FIUBaseball) March 8, 2026

In the 11th, Turner surrendered runners on base to load them up. He was replaced by Jordan Vargas. The Owls were able to score after a throwing error from Fischer and a wild pitch from Vargas, making it 5-3. Turner bore responsibility for both runs and the loss.

The pitching for FIU gave it its all, striking out a total of 15 batters. Their hitting was patient at the plate as well, drawing a total of nine walks.

Final/11
FAU 5 | FIU 3

Despite 15 Ks from FIU’s pitchers and 9 walks drawn by their hitters, their biggest struggle tonight was stranding base runners, with 16.

Andrew Ildefonso had the best performance, going 4/5 with an RBI and a double. #FIU | #Panthers | #PawsUp

— Ricardo Urrusuno (@RickScores) March 8, 2026

For the Panthers, stranding base runners was the key issue, as they left 16 on base. They hit .125 (1/8) with runners in scoring position and were .200 (1/5) in bases-loaded situations. Hitting with any runner on base in general was a struggle for FIU, as they hit .105 (2/19) as a team in those situations.

They had eight hits on the night, half of which came off the bat of Ildefonso, a career-high for him. He reached base five times with a double, three singles, and a walk. Rasmussen notched a couple of hits while Rivera and Trivella each made it on the hit column as well.

For FIU, this loss means that for a 10th consecutive season, they will not have beaten FAU in a series. The last time they won the 305/561 battle was back in 2016 when they took two out of three contests.

Following a pair of loses, FIU Baseball extends its streak of not beating FAU in a series for a 10th consecutive season. Their last series win came in 2016.#FIU | #Panthers | #PawsUp

— Ricardo Urrusuno (@RickScores) March 8, 2026

On Deck

The series now shifts back to FAU’s Baseball Stadium with a Sunday noon contest.

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