MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (Feb. 22, 2015) – Freshman
Jack Schaaf drove a two-run home run off James Vernon over the right field wall in the bottom of the 13th inning to complete a doubleheader sweep of N.C. Central for FIU on Sunday in Myrtle Beach, S.C. The Panthers rallied from being down twice in the nightcap of the doubleheader to walk-off with a 7-5 win over the Eagles.
With the score tied 5-5 in the 13th inning, junior
Rey Perez reached on an infield single with one out before Schaaf delivered his first college home run to finish the Eagles (1-4).
FIU (4-4) was down to its final out in the bottom of the 10th trailing 5-4 when freshman
Mitchell Robinson singled home sophomore
Kolby Follis, who came on as a pinch-runner after sophomore
J.C. Escarra walked. Follis stole second base before the Robinson single.
Down 4-3 in the bottom of the seventh, FIU got an RBI double from senior
Brian Portelli to score Schaaf, who singled. Schaaf finished the game 2-for-6. Portelli was 3-for-6 with three doubles and two RBI. Portelli now has nine hits on the season and eight of them are doubles.
FIU left-hander
Dominic LoBrutto worked out of trouble in the top of the 13th inning to pick up the win. After Cory Williamson doubled with one out, pinch-hitter Nelson Cooper grounded to LoBrutto who got Williamson in a rundown. LoBrutto threw to shortstop
Julius Gaines, who tagged Williamson. Gaines then fired to Perez at second base, who tagged Cooper who was trying to reach second base to finish the unorthodox double play.
In the opener of the doubleheader FIU freshman right-hander
Andres Nunez was masterful pitching six and two-thirds shutout innings, walking none and striking out four batters to record the win in a 4-0 win over the Eagles. The victory came in Nunez's first college start.
FIU got all the runs it would need in the third inning. Portelli delivered the big blow with a two-run double down the left field line to make it 3-0. Junior
Zach Soria followed with an RBI single to tack on the fourth FIU run.
Now FIU heads back home to Miami and opens a four-game series with Manhattan Friday with a 7 p.m. first pitch. Saturday is a doubleheader and a single game Sunday in the series finale.?
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