Runs Plentiful In Panthers’ Third-Straight Win Over Stonehill

MIAMI, FL – Pitching took a backseat today as FIU Baseball overpowered Stonehill by a whopping score of 17-14 in an offensive masterpiece by both the Panthers and Skyhawks.

FIU did their damage thanks in part to five home runs in multiple seven-run innings. They racked up 17 runs on 16 hits, with six different batters recording more than one hit on the day.

Runs A Hot Commodity

We had a taste of action in the third when Cole Cleveland smacked a two-run RBI double, his first hit as a Panther. However, things came to a head in the fourth inning as Albert Serrano cashed out a grand slam to blow the gates open.

Also in that inning was a solo homer to left field by Alex Ulloa, then a left-center bomb by Nelson Rivera Flores, giving the Panthers a 9-2 lead. It’s a good sight to see from Flores who’s coming off an injury to set a start today and make an immediate impact.

Stonehill didn’t give up, scoring a pair of runs in the fifth inning, but seven more runs were delivered by the Panthers in the seventh to seemingly deny a comeback. Highlights include Cole Cleveland’s first homer at the collegiate level, a two-run RBI double for Austin Dearing, and another home run by Serrano.

Easton Marks put up solid numbers today on the mound, allowing no hits and four strikeouts in three innings. The relievers were tested, however, and six members of the bullpen were featured.

The closers struggled in the eighth and ninth innings. Stonehill rallied in the eighth, dropping seven runs, then an additional three in the ninth, but it just wasn’t enough.

Three games down, three nail-biters that went the way of FIU. Regardless, they stand with a 3-0 record to begin the season. They’ll look to close out this series against Stonehill tomorrow at noon. They’ll then head to Daytona for a midweek contest against Bethune-Cookman on Wednesday.