Box Score MIAMI (April 18, 2014) – For the second-straight game, junior Mike Franco pitched a complete game, this one in shutout fashion, as FIU (27-10, 11-8 Conference USA) earned a 6-0 victory over the Florida Atlantic Owls on Friday night. Juniors Josh Anderson and Brian Portelli each had four hits in the victory.
 
In his nine innings of work, Franco tallied a career-high 12 strikeouts and allowed just six hits. He lowered his season ERA to 0.90. The complete game was his third of the season and his second shutout. The 12th shutout by FIU pitching extends the Panthers C-USA season record.
 
Anderson fell one hit shy of hitting for the cycle. He had a home run, a double and two singles. Freshman Gunnar McNeill hit his first career home run.
 
Anderson's second home run of the season led off the second inning. McNeill's long ball came in the third inning, hitting it off his high school teammate, FAU left-handed starter Austin Gomber.
FIU added two more runs in the fourth on a bases loaded two-run single from junior Julius Gaines, who finished the night 2-for-5. In the bottom of the seventh, senior Zach Sweety hit a hard ground ball to reliever Andrew Archer, who threw the ball away. That resulted in two runs to give FIU a 6-0 lead.
 
From there Franco cruised to the shutout. The right-hander allowed just one Owl to reach third base in the game.
 
FIU is back in action tomorrow at 4 p.m. against the Owls. You can catch the action with Pete Pelegrin on PantherVision on FIUSports.com beginning at 3:55 p.m.
Fans are encouraged to follow the Panthers on Twitter (@o) 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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Fans can purchase tickets online, over the phone by calling 305-FIU-GAME, or in person at the R. Kirk Landon Fieldhouse Box Office. Tickets cost just $5 and group pricing is available for groups of 20 or more. 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 FIU 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