SERIES THREAD: FAU vs. Illinois - Feb. 22nd-24th 2019
#Illinois 2 - #FAU 1 | Middle of 4th
— FAU Owl's Nest (@FAU_Owls_Nest) February 23, 2019
Owls have one hit so far today, a HR from Summerall. Sandberg isn't having the best outing, having given up 6 H in 4.0 IP. To his credit, he retired the side in the previous half inning with 2 K and a groundout.
Okay, let's go across the street to check on #FAU Baseball...
— FAU Owl's Nest (@FAU_Owls_Nest) February 23, 2019
yikesssssss pic.twitter.com/gpco58AHsB
Owls attempt at a late rally fails…too little, too late.
FINAL | #Illinois 5 - #FAU 3
— FAU Owl's Nest (@FAU_Owls_Nest) February 24, 2019
Owls lose their third straight as their comeback falls short against the Illini. The bats didn't wake up until it was too late.
Summerall - 1 HR
Sandberg - (L) 6.2 IP, 7 H, 1 K, 2 ER
FAU will look to avoid the sweep tomorrow at noon.
The FAU baseball team scraped together a run in each of the seventh and eighth innings, and had the tying run at the plate, but a chance to tie ended at the wall in the bottom of the ninth in a 5-3 loss Saturday to Illinois.
“Another decent ballgame, but you’ve got to be able to get that additional hit,” said Head Coach John McCormack. “I thought their starting pitcher (Andy Fisher) did a really nice job, I thought (Ryan) Sandberg did a pretty good job, but we’ve got to that additional hit to get (Fisher) out of the game.”
The Owls (3-3) enjoyed a short-lived lead, as Andru Summerall’s solo home run in the second was erased by two Illinois (5-0) runs in the third. The Illini added on with two more in the sixth, and another in the seventh, for a 5-1 advantage.
FAU chipped away, scoring their seventh inning run on a throwing error, and making it a two-run game with a two-out RBI single by Francisco Urbaez in the eighth. In their final turn, Wilfredo Alvarez rapped a hard-hit single through the right side to lead off the ninth. Two batters later, and on a 3-2 count, Jacob Pino hit it about 399 feet to straight-away center, but Illini centerfield Zac Taylor caught it with his back against the wall to prevent what would have been a tie and end the game.
After allowing the first two runs, starter Ryan Sandberg settled down for two zeroes before exiting. Michael Schuler was the star of the night for the Owls on the hill, throwing 2 2/3 hitless and scoreless frames, with three strikeouts
Three hits came in the eighth: A Pedro Pages single up the middle, a Joe Montes single to left, and Urbaez’s RBI single through the left side.
- FIU Baseball SID Jonathan Fraysure
UPDATED SCHEDULE: 2019 FAU Baseball Schedule - FAU Owl's Nest
FAU Baseball was behind 5-0 and 9-5, coming back to tie the game twice, but a 10th-inning Illinois RBI single was the deciding run in an 11-10 series-ending loss on Sunday to the Fighting Illini.
Illinois (6-0) did score five runs in their first turn, all with two outs, but the Owls (3-4) battled back with two in the first (on an Andru Summerall groundout and Bobby Morgensen single) and three more in the second (an Eric Rivera single, a wild pitch, and a Summerall single) to knot things up at 5-5.
“Proud of our guys, they kept fighting,” said Head Coach John McCormack. “It was a terrible start to the day with the five-spot in the top of the first, and as I told them, I’ve seen those days turn in to 8-, 10-, 12-nothing games. The guys kept fighting, but we’ve got to get better.”
The Illini plated the next four, on three in the third and one more in the fourth, and still held a 10-8 advantage going into the home eighth.
With two outs in the FAU eighth and the bases loaded, a gap single by Wilfredo Alvarez to left-center pushed both Joe Montes and Francisco Urbaez across for the second tie of the game, at 10-10.
Each team went scoreless in the ninth, and the game-winner came in the 10th, on a one-out double, a passed ball, and a chopper for a single against FAU’s drawn-in infield.
The Owls went down in order in the bottom of the 10th to give Illinois the finale win.
Another gutsy performance was turned in by Vince Coletti, going 3 1/3 innings and allowing one earned run with two K’s.
Six Owls had multi-hit efforts towards the team’s season high of 14 hits as well as 10 runs. Urbaez had his first three-hit game at FAU, and his first two-RBI game as well. Alvarez notched his first two-RBI game as well, and added two hits for the second time.
- FIU Baseball SID Jonathan Fraysure
UPDATED SCHEDULE: 2019 FAU Baseball Schedule - FAU Owl's Nest
Recent Forum Posts
Nizhan Feagin was very pleased with his visit to FAU earlier t…
CJ gives up two hits over six innings and gets the loss. Owls…
Just couldn't find the equalizer tonight 😭
Dang.Doesn't get any closer than that.Bases loaded, 3-2 count.C…
They're gonna choke, I can feel it…