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SERIES THREAD: FAU @ Marshall - Apr 4-6, 2014

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What:    FAU (16-12, 4-8 C-USA) at Marshall (9-16, 5-6 C-USA)

When:   Fri, Apr 4th at 3:00 PM
              Sat, Apr 5th at 7:00 PM
              Sun, Apr 6th at 12:00 PM

WhereEpling Stadium


Audio:    Here

Stats:     Here


Series:

First meeting for the teams.


Projected Starting Pitchers:


Fri:         FAU - LHP Austin Gomber (2-4, 3.52 ERA)
              MU -  RHP Michael Taylor (1-5, 3.00 ERA)

Sat:        FAU - RHP Jeremy Strawn (2-4, 3.55 ERA)
              MU -  RHP Matt Margaritonda (2-3, 3.51 ERA)

Sun:       FAU - RHP Drew Jackson (3-0, 2.25 ERA)
              MU -  RHP Josh King (2-2, 2.60 ERA)

In West Virginia this weekend for a series versus the Marshall Thundering Herd, the FAU Owls are looking to build on a recent win over a powerful Florida Gators team.

This time last year, FAU Baseball was in the midst of what became an eight game win streak. They have won two consecutive games, and if they are to make quick work of this Marshall team, the Owls will need to find their bats sooner rather than later. FAU has scored just twelve runs in their last five games.

The pitching staff has been solid this year, and that has kept the Owls in contention even as the hitting as been unspectacular. All three of the pitchers FAU is using this weekend have an ERA under four.

Perhaps the key for this team is getting ahead. Over half the Owls' runs this year have come in the first, second, or third inning. Good news: Closer Kevin Alexander will also be available, fully recovered from an illness that held him out of the Rice series.

This series could be a chance for the Owls to put together a string of wins that could result in them looking like the team that was picked finish second in Conference USA.

Marshall will enter this series on just two days rest, having lost an April 2 contest versus Eastern Kentucky. When they lose, they lose big - Marshall has suffered losing streaks of both four and six games this season.

Five Marshall batters are hitting under .200 this year, and eight batters have 15 or more strikeouts this year. They have been anemic at this plate, which may bode well or the road team.

The entire lineup has managed just home runs this year, which means small ball very well may be the method Marshall is using to compete. All but two of their batters have stolen a base this year.
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It'd be nice to get another conference win.
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In the first game of a weekend series versus Marshall (10-17, 6-6), the Florida Atlantic Owls were shut out 5-0, marking the second shutout in the last five games.

The Thundering Herd gave Austin Gomber his fifth loss of the year. In six and a third innings, he surrendered seven hits and three unearned runs.

Gomber and the staff received no run support - the lineup managed just four hits, and the top of the order was just 1-12 on the day. No Owl had more than one hit.

Both teams went five full innings tied at zero until a Marshall single to right field in the sixth inning scored the first run of the game.

CJ Chatham, Kevin Abraham, and Cain Spangler went down 1-2-3 in the top of the seventh inning. Marshall tacked on three more runs in the bottom of the seventh, and one more in the bottom of the eighth.

Down 5-0 in the top of the ninth, it looked as if the Owls may have been poised to start putting runs on the board. Ricky Santiago put himself in scoring position after a double to center field. Esteban Puerta and Kevin Abraham walked, and Jose Bonilla Traverso struck out with the bases loaded.

FAU (16-13, 4-9) is just 4-6 in its last ten games, and today's loss is the fourth time that they have been shutout this season. They will look to bounce back at 7 PM on April 5.



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Our offense is so lacking. Even the win against UF had 19 strike outs. That is crazy bad. I hope they keep working on it
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Local Owl said

Our offense is so lacking. Even the win against UF had 19 strike outs. That is crazy bad. I hope they keep working on it
Posted On: Apr 4th 2014, 7:40 PM #330582

Definitely thought this was ours to take in sweeping fashion with the momentum shift. But when you play 11 innings on a Tuesday, have to bus back from Gainesville, then leave again on Thursday morning at 4:00 AM  bound to be TIRED.
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Marshall is not an overpowering team. One would have thought a sweep was a possibility. We are deep enough into the season to realize our weakness. We finally had great pitching and our hitting falters. Too bad.
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Still got two to go, let's get the first one tonight!

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The FAU Owls (16-14, 4-10) lost 7-3 in the second game of their weekend series versus Marshall, their third consecutive C-USA series loss.

The Owls left three men stranded in the top of the second inning, perhaps symbolic of their severe lack of offensive output lately. Today is the seventh consecutive game that the Owls' have managed five or less runs in a game. They have gone 2-5 in those contests.

FAU sorely needs more output from the middle of their batting order. The 5-8 batters (Billy Endris, Esteban Puerta, Kevin Abraham, and Robert Buckley) went a combined 0-15 on the day.

The Owls scored two runs in the third inning to take an early lead. After tying the game at two in the bottom of the seventh inning, the Thundering Herd (11-17, 7-6) rattled off five consecutive runs in the bottom of the eighth and blew the game open. FAU committed four crucial errors that aided Marshall in taking control of the contest.   

CJ Chatham got on base in the top of the ninth, and eventually would score the third FAU run of the game. Brendon Sanger, and Tyler Rocklein grounded out, then Ricky Santiago struck out looking to end the game.

Robert Buckley and Chatham were both 2-4 on the night, bright spots in an offense that is still sputtering. FAU scored just one run in the final seven innings.

Jeremy Strawn pitched a strong six innings in the loss, scattering five hits and just two unearned runs. He is now 2-5 on the season. Drew Jackson will be on the mound tomorrow at 12 PM to try and prevent a Marshall sweep.
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