RSS

FAU third baseman Joey Burkhalter can't come up with this ball in the Owls' 12-4 loss to FIU on Friday. (FAUOwlAccess.com photo)

Slim margin

FAU sees its lead shrink to just a half game as they lose the first game of a crucial Sun Belt Conference series to rival FIU 12-4.

Originally published on 5/20/2010

by Marcus Nelson

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> Post-game press conference: Coach John McCormack
> Sun Belt Conference: Latest standings
> Boxscore: The game by the numbers
> Blue Wave Board: Talk about FIU-FAU here

BOCA RATON - Florida Atlantic could have won the Sun Belt Conference championship Thursday if the right things would have happened in its game vs. FIU and MTSU and ULL would have both lost their games.

The Owls don’t have to worry about what happened to the Blue Raiders and the Ragin’ Cajuns after playing one of their worst games of the season in a 12-4 loss to the Golden Panthers.

FAU hadn’t played a game since losing to Florida on May 12 and it showed, McCormack said.

“We had some rust,” FAU coach John McCormack said. “We hadn’t played for a week and they were coming off a sweep and were excited. We let it snowball on us and we couldn’t stop it.”

The Owls hit four home runs, but all were solo shots and weren’t enough to compete against an FIU lineup that pounded out 17 hits – including two by shortstop Garrett Wittels who extended his hitting streak to 46 games, the third longest in NCAA history.

“We made mistakes and we compounded the problems with our fielding,” McCormack said.

The game had a scary moment when Owls shortstop Nick DelGuidice was hit in the lip by a pitch in the ninth inning thrown by FIU pitcher Andre Vazquez. DelGuidice left to be checked out at a hospital as soon as the game was over.

FAU (31-20, 19-9) can still win its first Sun Belt Conference title with a combination of two victories and two losses by Louisiana-Lafayette, but the Owls will have their work cut out for them after losing their third consecutive game and fourth game out of their last five.

“I have confidence in this team,” said junior outfielder Colby Gratton, who had two home runs. “We’ve had times where we’ve lost the first game and then come back and won the series, and I think we can do it again.”

GameBrowser: Florida International 12, Florida Atlantic 4

Moving forward: OF Colby Gratton was 2-for-4 with 2 homers. …2B Raymond Church was 2-for-3
Moving backward: Andy Mee was 0-for-4 and had his 18-game hitting streak snapped. …The Owls were picked-off first base two times.
Stat Download: FAU hasn’t lost a Sun Belt series opener since losing to Louisiana-Lafayette 9-3 on March 26
Up Next: The Owls and Golden Panthers play the second game of the three-game series at 6:30 p.m. Friday. It might be the best pitching match-up of the series as the Owls’ Mike Gipson (7-1, 3.30) takes on Scott Rembisz (7-4, 4.75)

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Martinez hits ball just under Burkhalter’s glove at third to bring in Wittels…FIU 2, FAU 0 Top 1
Mesa misplays one in center on a hit by Alfonso that allows two more to come in…FIU 4, FAU 0 Mid 2
DelGuidice and Gratton’s back-to-back HRs have Owls back in game…FIU 4, FAU 2 End 2
Mesa leads off inning with solo shot to right that may have been wind-aided…FIU 4, FAU 3 Bot 3
Bermudez hits a 2-0 run shot to score 2 unearned runs after error by Burkhalter…FIU 6, FAU 3 Mid 4
Gratton hits his second HR of the game – a shot to left on a full-count…FIU 6, FAU 4 Bot 4
Mesa dives to try and catch a ball hit by Patton. Ball gets by him and Patton winds up at third and scores on single by Martinez…FIU 7, FAU 4 Mid 5
Senior reliever Morey in for Garton (5ip 8h 7r 4er 0bb 4so)…FIU 7, FAU 4 Top 6
Martinez with a 3-run bomb to right as FIU firmly in control…FIU 10, FAU 4 Top 7
Golden Panthers aren’t finished as they add 2 more in the top of the 8^th…FIU 12, FAU 4 Mid 8
FINAL: FIU 12, FAU 4…Owls routed in opener of key Sun Belt series