Owls Top Miami, First Ever Season Series Sweep
Florida Atlantic baseball defeated Miami 7-4 on Wednesday night, good for the Owls’ first season sweep of the Hurricanes and their third straight win. The Owls improved to 21-8 on the season, nearly identical to last year’s 20-8-1 record after 29, and they knocked Miami down to 12-16.
No, it is not football, but a 2-0 mark against the traditional baseball powerhouse is just as impressive. FAU won the first game of the three in Boca Raton on February 28, driven by early hitting and a stellar performance from the bullpen. The Owls clinched the series in Miami with a thrilling 11-9 win back in March, and they finished the job in the sweeping victory on the road last night.
The Owls scored three quick runs in the top of the first, notching their first run within the first ten pitches. Tyler Frank opened the game with a second-pitch leadoff double, scoring on a David Miranda RBI single. Frank extended his program-best hitting streak to 24 games. Two following sac-flies put the Owls up 3-0.
2018 FAU Baseball vs George Washington
Coach McCormack described, “We got off to a fast start, which is what we wanted, getting off the bus and getting three runs. We grinded out another couple of runs and I thought the pitching staff did a great job.”
Miami reduced FAU’s lead to one in the third inning, but the Owls never trailed en route to a 7-4 final score. Kevin Abraham and Andru Summerall each hit a home run, and a Pedro Pages single plus an Eric Rivera sac fly accounted for the other Owls runs.
Pitching was a combined effort in the win. The Owls used six pitchers as starter Mark Nowatnick handed the ball over to Jordan Poore in the fourth. Poore’s three innings were the longest outing of his career, and he allowed just three baserunners. The two combined for six innings, giving way to the back end of the bullpen.
FAU found themselves in a bit of trouble in the bottom of the ninth. The Canes loaded the bases with no outs but after Matt Harris recorded one, closer Zach Schneider was able to work out of the threatening situation to earn his ninth save of the season.
All nine Owls reached base, and redshirt senior David Miranda posted the most impressive line with a 3/5 day at the plate. He scored all three times.
FAU remains in third place in the C-USA. Though the Owls hold the best overall record, they are a game behind reigning regular season conference champions Southern Mississippi and 1.5 behind Louisiana Tech. The Owls will need to improve on last year’s 15-13 record in the final 28 games coming into the second half of the season.
Next, they take on Charlotte in a three-game home series. The Owls will need to pick up conference wins by the bunches to continue this strong season.
