SERIES THREAD: FAU vs. Northeastern - March 8th-10th, 2019
What: Northeastern (5-6) vs. Florida Atlantic (6-7)
When: Friday, March 8th at 6:30 PM
Saturday, March 9th at 4:00 PM
Sunday, March 10th at 12:00 PM
Where: FAU Baseball Stadium
Video: CUSA.tv
Live Stats: Here
Northeastern Team Site: Here
Series: The two clubs have met 22 times since 1987, with the Owls owning a 16-5-1 advantage.
Projected Starting Pitchers:
Friday
FAU - R-Sr RHP Blake Sanderson (2-0, 3.00)
NU - Jr RHP David Stiehl (1-2, 8.38)
Saturday
FAU - R-So RHP Ryan Sandberg (0-1, 2.77)
NU - So. RHP Brandon Dufault (1-0, 9.90)
Sunday
FAU - Jr. RHP Mike Ruff (1-0, 9.42)
NU - Jr. LHP Sean Mellen (1-0, 1.06)
Owls at a Glance
The Owls host Northeastern for their final non-conference weekend series. The three game set provides an opportunity for FAU to get above .500 before the vaunted C-USA slate.
The Owls followed a weekend series sweep of Monmouth with a 6-3 defeat to Appalachian State on Tuesday. Francisco Urbaez had his fifth multi-hit game of the season. His solid hitting was not enough to overcome a shaky start from Hunter Cooley, who was tapped for the loss.
Although the season is still young, Urbeaz's play has been a pleasant surprise. The junior's .405 batting average and .738 slugging ranks fourth and second in the conference respectively.
Blake Sanderson gets his fourth Friday start of the season after a 6.0 IP outing where he gave up 6 hits, 4 runs, but claimed 9 strikeouts in a 8-3 win over Monmouth.
Huskies
Despite a strong start to the season, Northeastern has lost four of their last five. The lone win coming against Illinois, who swept the Owls two weeks ago.
Last time out, the Huskies dropped a 5-2 result against lowly Villanova, who earned just their second win of the season.
The Huskies will save their ace Sean Mellen for Sunday's contest. The Junior tied the NU program record for single-season wins with 10 in 2018, allowing Mellen to be named a Preseason All-American Second Team player. He has two zero run outings out of his three starts.
The leading hitter for the Huskies is Scott Holzwasser at .389, while Corey DiLoreto hits .375 and has a team high 10 RBI.
This will be the Huskies final series out of a 15-game trip away from home. The Boston area club spent a few days in Ft. Myers and Conway, SC for a pair of tournaments, including an exhibition against defending World Series Champions the Boston Red Sox.
#FAU 6 - #Northeastern 0 | End of 3rd
— FAU Owl's Nest (@FAU_Owls_Nest) March 9, 2019
Owls bats are ALIVE tonight in Boca, including a two-run oppo homer from Joe Montes! Sanderson pitching well thus far, but would like some more insurance runs just in case.
#FAU 6 - #Northeastern 0 | End of 5th
— FAU Owl's Nest (@FAU_Owls_Nest) March 9, 2019
Sanderson sets eight straight Huskies aside. Montes attempted to take home from an Alvarez double, but he's thrown out at the plate after an impressive relay from NU's SS.
#FAU 6 - #Northeastern 2 | End of 7th
— FAU Owl's Nest (@FAU_Owls_Nest) March 9, 2019
Huskies got on the board with a two-run shot to right. Sanderson is still on the mound for the Owls, still throwing fire.
NU tried to make it a game by adding a couple of runs in the ninth, but FAU ace Blake Sanderson weathered the storm to earn a CP WIN!
OWLS WIN! | #FAU 7 - #Northeastern 4
— FAU Owl's Nest (@FAU_Owls_Nest) March 9, 2019
What a performance from Blake Sanderson, who pitches a COMPLETE GAME for the Owls!
Sanderson - (WP) 9.0 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 0 BB, 5 K
Rivera - 3 H, 1 R, 1 HPB
Lambert - 2 H, 2 RBI, 1 R
Montes - 2 H, 2 RBI, 1 HR
NEXT: vs. NU, Sat. 4:30 pic.twitter.com/YTHMNDcnfO
UPDATED SCHEDULE: 2019 FAU Baseball Schedule - FAU Owl's Nest
Down 3-0 early, and 5-4 heading into the seventh, the Florida Atlantic University scored five times in their last two at-bats to hold off Northeastern in a 9-6 win Saturday to clinch the weekend set.
Trailing for the second time on the day, after a solo home run in the top of the seventh, the Owls (8-7) had no one on and two outs in the bottom half. Andru Summerall then singled to right, and a walk to Francisco Urbaez put the go-ahead run on the basepaths. Jared DeSantolo singled to tie things, and on an 0-2 pitch, Joe Montes went up the middle for a two-run single to score two and push the FAU lead to 7-5.
Northeastern (5-8) scored once in the eighth, but Vince Coletti struck out Jared Dupere, who had homered his previous at-bat, to leave the tying run on second. Two-out offensive magic was replicated in the home eighth, as Summerall lined a single through the right side off lefthanded reliever Andrew Misiaszek, scoring two more for insurance. Closer Zach Schneider then dealt a quick 10-pitch, 1-2-3 ninth to pick up the save.
“Really proud of the guys, that was a hard-fought win against a good opponent", said Head Coach John McCormack. "Had some really good relief pitching, and we had four RBI with two outs."
Eric Rivera recorded his fourth straight multi-hit game (and seventh in the last nine), going 2-for-4. He had RBI singles in the third and fourth innings
Mike Ruff will take the ball for FAU against Northeastern’s Sean Mellen on Sunday in the series finale on Sunday at noon.
- FAU Baseball SID Jonathan Fraysure
UPDATED SCHEDULE: 2019 FAU Baseball Schedule - FAU Owl's Nest
A classic pitcher’s duel saw Mike Ruff and the Florida Atlantic University baseball team come out victorious Sunday, 2-1, to wrap a three-game sweep of Northeastern at FAU Baseball Stadium.
“Those close games, it’s really important for us to get a win like this going into conference play, and of course, with the two midweek games before that", said Head Coach John McCormack. "Certainly hope this is a springboard to get us rolling.”
Ian Fair of Northeastern (5-9) led off the game with a solo home run, but Ruff retired the next 13 in a row, into the fifth, and stranded at least a runner in each of his last three innings. The two he left on in the seventh proved to be vital, as the FAU (9-7) offense finally capitalized in the bottom half. Mitchell Hartigan led off with a double and was sacrificed successfully to third by Jacob Josey. A liner up the middle by Eric Rivera tied it, and an out later, he came all the way around from first on Francisco Urbaez’s double into the leftfield corner to give the Owls a 2-1 lead.
Vince Coletti came on to pitch the eighth, and the leadoff batter reached against him on a single. But with one out, Pedro Pages blocked a pitch in the dirt and fired a strike to retire that baserunner, and Coletti struck out the NU batter on the very next pitch. There was less drama in the ninth, as Zach Schneider recorded his second save in as many days with, again, a 1-2-3 frame.
The Owls will stay home for five more, including a two-game set this midweek hosting Quinnipiac. Gametimes are 6:30 p.m. on both Tuesday and Wednesday.
- FAU Baseball SID Jonathan Fraysure
UPDATED SCHEDULE: 2019 FAU Baseball Schedule - FAU Owl's Nest
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