MIAMI, FL – FIU Baseball, reeling from a tough loss to Miami in loanDepot park, took out some frustration on the Florida Atlantic Owls to the tune of a 7-3 win to start another weekend series. This marks the fourth-straight win against the Owls at the FIU Baseball Stadium.
Trailing 2-1, the Panthers essentially iced the game with a six-run explosion in the seventh inning. A pair of two-run singles by Cole Cleveland and Alex Ulloa headlined an offensive masterclass that the Owls couldn’t overcome.
Also in that inning, Kishon Frett was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. That’s the 11th time he’s been whacked by a pitch this season, which leads the country. Whether that’s a good or bad stat line to lead in is up to you.
Even before the seventh, the bats were hot for the Panthers as Kareh Vakentin launched a solo shot to left field for his third home run of the season.
In the sixth inning, the Owls finally responded with two runs off a pair of RBIs to take the lead. After the seventh inning, FAU nailed a home run in the eighth, but that was the only damage they caused, thanks to a solid effort by the bullpen.
Easton Marks delivered a solid performance through six, striking out five batters and allowing no runs through five straight innings. Juan Villarreal locked down the Owls to earn the win, only giving up a single run in three innings.
With the win, the Panthers improved their record to 12-3, the best start in the first 15 games of a season since 2014. They’ll now start a home-and-home series against FAU, essentially. They’ll head to Boca Raton tomorrow at 4pm before heading back to Miami on Sunday.
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