Box Score TAMPA (March 25, 2014) – FIU racked up 16 hits in a 9-0 victory over the USF Bulls on Tuesday night. With the win the Panthers improved to 21-4 on the season. USF fell to 15-9. It was FIU's second win over USF this season – both in Tampa. The Panthers will host the Bulls on May 7 at the FIU Baseball Stadium.
Junior right-hander Mike Ellis picked up his fourth win of the season, allowing three hits and striking out four in four innings of work. Freshman
Gunnar McNeill threw three scoreless and hitless innings. He hasn't allowed a run yet in his FIU career. Freshman
Williams Durruthy and senior
Mike Gomez closed out the contest with two scoreless innings.
At the plate, freshman
Brandon Gomez extended his hitting streak to 15 games. Senior
Tyler Hibbert extended his hitting streak to 14 games, going 3-for-3 with an RBI. Junior
Julius Gaines, junior
Josh Anderson and junior
Brian Portelli all recorded two hits in the win.
FIU scored a season inning-high seven runs in the top of the second. The Panthers sent a season-best 12 batters to the plate in the inning, batting around for the 15th time. Sophomore
Edwin Rios and Gomez reached base on a single and hit by pitch, respectively. Portelli scorched a ball past the third baseman into the outfield, which was ruled an error. The error allowed Rios to score from second. With the bases loaded, freshman J.C. Escarra singled and Hibbert walked to allow two more runs to score. A fielder's choice hit by Gaines and a sac fly for junior
Aramis Garcia gave the Panthers a 5-0 advantage. Singles for Anderson and Gomez rounded out the seven-run inning for FIU.
The Panthers tacked on two more runs in the fifth. Hibbert led off with a single and Gaines reached on a bunt base hit. That set things up for Anderson, who ripped a double down the left field line to score both runners putting FIU up 9-0.
FIU is back in action this weekend as it travels to Birmingham, Ala. to take on the UAB Blazers in a three-game Conference USA set.
Fans are encouraged to follow the Panthers on Twitter (@FIUBaseball) and become a fan on Facebook (Facebook.com/FIUBaseball) for all the latest FIU Baseball news. Follow all of FIU's 18 athletic teams on Twitter (@FIUAthletics), Facebook (Facebook.com/FIUSports), YouTube (FIUPanthers), and Instagram (FIUathletics).
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Season tickets for the FIU baseball season are on sale. Tickets for the 2014 campaign cost just $50 per ticket for all fans this year. Fans can purchase tickets online, over the phone by calling 305-FIU-GAME, or in person at the R. Kirk Landon Fieldhouse Box Office. Student admission is free to all FIU baseball home games.
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About FIU Athletics: FIU Athletics is home to more than 400 student-athletes in 18 different sports. Athletic events are played in seven different venues on FIU's campuses (Modesto A. Maidique and Biscayne Bay), including U.S. Century Bank Arena and Alfonso Field at FIU Stadium.
About FIU: Florida International University is recognized as a Carnegie engaged university. Its colleges and schools offer more than 180 bachelor¹s, master¹s and doctoral programs in fields such as engineering, international relations, architecture, law and medicine. As one of South Florida¹s anchor institutions, FIU is Worlds Ahead in its local and global engagement, finding solutions to the most challenging problems of our time. FIU emphasizes research as a major component of its mission. FIU has awarded 200,000 degrees and enrolls 50,000 students in two campuses and three centers including FIU Downtown on Brickell and the Miami Beach Urban Studios. FIU is a member of Conference USA and has 400 student-athletes participating in 18 sports. For more information about FIU, visit http://www.fiu.edu/.
