FAU Gets Much Needed Series Win Over Stonehill

By: Tobey Schulman

FAU concluded their three game series with Stonehill Sunday afternoon. The Owls rallied to come back from a game two loss, and ultimately take the series. FAU goes into next week with a 6-5 record, looking to get a win in their toughest game yet against the Florida Gators. 

FAU coming off of a game one win looked to take the series on Saturday. Carter Brady gave the Owls the lead early with a two RBI single that scored Andrew McKenna and Christian Adams. However, those would be the only runs the Owls scored the entire game. 

Stonehill’s pitching staff would shutout FAU for the rest of game two, with a six inning outing from Zach Gleason highlighting the night for the Skyhawks. Stonehill would score three runs in the fourth, taking the lead over the Owls. A double and a wild pitch were just part of what occurred in the Owls giving up the lead in that inning. 

Despite tallying two more hits than Stonehill, the Owls still came up short and lost another close game. They would look to get the bats going for game three, and take a much needed series win.

Sunday’s game was easily the most wild game of the season so far. A game that would record 27 total runs between both teams. Both Stonehill and FAU went back and forth offensively in the early-goings of the game. The score was tied at 2-2 going into the bottom half of the third, where a two RBI single from Andrew McKenna made it 4-2. A walked in run would give the Owls a 5-2 lead, but they wouldn’t score again until a chaotic seventh inning. 

Stonehill cut the lead to one in the fifth after a two-run home run from Jack Marshall. In the top of the seventh, Stonehill would retake the lead scoring three more runs, making it a 7-5 game. The Owls would now need a late rally to come back and take the series.

With not many more innings left to get chances to come back, plate discipline was crucial for the entire Owls lineup. They would walk a total of nine times in that seventh inning. This would lead to the highlight of the game, which was a grand slam from Spencer Rich to cap off a fifteen run inning, giving FAU a 20-7 lead. 

That would be all the runs scored in the series finale. After a score of 3-2 on Saturday, these two teams followed it up with a 20-7 score on Sunday. A score you’d see in football, not typically baseball. 

Despite being outhit by Stonehill, FAU managed to score 13 more runs than them. Definitely not an everyday occurrence by any means, but a great way to end the series nonetheless.

The offense picked up the bats at the right time. They’ll look to travel up to Gainesville, for a Tuesday single game matchup against the University of Florida. The Owls will seek their second win over an SEC school this season for their resume, and come home to Boca Raton ready for their next set of games.