BOCA RATON - FAU coach John McCormack made a tough call on Friday when he brought in Glen Troyanowski instead of struggling freshman Hugh Adams to close the Owls victory. It was also the right move.

Both Troyanowski and Adams have struggled this season, but Troyanowski's issue has been a lack of stamina. Send him in to throw one inning and he's been pretty consistent. Remember, he threw that 1-2-3 ninth against Miami on Wednesday.

Adams, on the other hand, has struggled in his last few outings, failing to convert his last three save opportunities. After Friday's win McCormack said Adams has lost the feel of his slider. That's particulary troublesome because the slider is his out pitch. If it's not working, Adams tosses glorified batting practice.

McCormack intended to use Adams when it looked like the Owls might take a three-run lead into the ninth inning. He would have been on a short leash. When the Warhawks cut the lead to 5-4, there was no room for error.

Troyanowski gave the Owls their best chance to win.

"I didn't want to see them get some hits on Hugh's money pitch that isn't there yet," McCormack explained following the win.

Troyanowski came through in the most important half-inninng of the Owls season. FAU had lost four of their last five games. If the Owls lose that Friday game to ULM, suddenly they are looking at dropping their third Sun Belt series of the year.

Streaks - both positive and negative - have a way of taking on a life of their owm. Troyanowski halted the negative flow for at least one night.

McCormack said he will use Troyanowski against ULM in a similar situation but stopped short of naming Troyanowski his full-time closer. That reluctance shouldn't last long. Even if Troyanowski struggles in his next outing or two, he still passes the eye test. At this point he looks more confident on the mound than Adams.

That's not to say FAU should give up on Adams. He's a freshman, and freshman frequently experience these kinds of problems. McCormack liked Adams as a closer because he can pitch. But the closer role is not a place for a struggling freshman.

Role changes often change pitchers' attitudes, allowing them to throw more easily. Maybe Adams finds it easier to throw that slider in the seventh or eight inning.

Good coaches are willing to take risks, to push players to try new roles. Better coaches realize when the experiiment is unsuccessful. McCormack pulled the plug on Troyanowski as a starter. It didn't work.

Now he has the opportunity to solidify the backend of the Owls' bullpen. Another performance like the one Troyanowski turned in Friday night should make that decision easy.

You can read about how the remainder of the series goes on FAUOwlAccess.com

Gratton keeps going: Colby Gratton drew the start in right field on Friday and responded with two more hits, including the one in the above photo. Jeremey Griffiths continues to press at the plate. Gratton looks more and more like an everyday starter.

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