FIU Baseball Starts 2025 With Walk Off Winner In Extras

MIAMI, FL – There’s just something about FIU Baseball and thrilling wins to begin the season.

The 2025 campaign for the Panthers opened up with a banger, as FIU had to battle back from multiple deficits – one in regulation, and another in the 11th inning, to take down Stonehill by a score of 7-6.

“Opening Day is always exciting,” said head coach Rich Witten. “It feels like 20 games all wrapped up into one. There was a lot of adrenaline, a lot of excitement, and we settled down towards the end of the game.”

Never Easy, Sometimes Difficult

Runs were a hot commodity in this game, with both starting pitchers finding success early on. The only crack by the Skyhawks of Stonehill came in the bottom of the third. A double by Brylan West flew down the left-field line, bringing in Samuel Fischer for an early lead.

Along the way, Logan Runde made the most of his time on the mound. Having earned the start on Opening Day, the senior delivered, going four innings, striking out four batters, and allowing no hits.

His replacement, David Eckaus, looked to continue the pitching dominance but gave up a few hits early on. This concluded with a two-run homer in the seventh inning to give Stonehill the lead.

An additional RBI single in the top of the ninth put FIU in a bad position. However, the Panthers fought back, loading the bases. A grounder by Albert Serrano forced a play at shortstop, and an air-mailed throw gave enough time for a pair of runners to score, tying up the game.

Free Baseball To Begin 2025

For as commendable as this comeback was, what came next was disappointing. The Skyhawks re-took the lead in the 11th inning with a double that cleared the bases.

However, the red-hot Panthers found an answer, and the hero was Kishon Frett. When they needed him the most, Frett blasted a three-run bomb to tie the game up. FIU then loaded up the bases once more, and a pitch hit Austin Dearing out of the blue.

Maybe not a conventional way to win a baseball game, but you take those on Opening Day.

“He was frustrated early in the game,” said head coach Rich Witten postgame. “He was missing a couple of pitches, He and I had a conversation that he was going to get another big one late, and the moment came up, and he was ready for it, and did a great job.”

FIU starts the season with a 1-0 record for the second straight season. They’ll look to double it up tomorrow at 5pm.