MIAMI (April 17, 2015) – A five-run seventh inning for WKU spelled proved costly as the FIU baseball team (16-21, 7-9 C-USA) fell to the Hilltoppers by a score of 6-4 on Friday night.
Junior
Zack Soria had two hits in the loss and scored two runs. Also collecting two hits for the Panthers was junior
Edwin Rios, who drove in one run as well. Senior
Brian Portelli drove in an additional two runs for FIU, while junior
Austin Rodriguez homered in the loss. Sophomore
Cody Crouse was charged with the loss, as he threw 6 1/3 innings.
WKU got things started in the second inning when Phillip Diedrick led off with a solo home run to put the Hilltoppers ahead, 1-0. However, the Panthers responded in the bottom of the third. With no runners on and two outs, freshman
Jack Schaaf worked a walk, advanced to second on a wild pitch and moved on to third on a passed ball. A blooping single to right field for junior
Brian Portelli knotted the game up at one as Schaaf scored.
The Panthers retook the lead in the sixth, as junior
Zack Soria started things off with a single through the left side. Schaaf bunted Soria over to second, who then moved to third on a wild pitch. Portelli collected his second RBI of the game on an RBI groundout to make it 2-1 in favor of FIU.
The Hilltoppers exploded for a five-run seventh inning, highlighted by an Anderson Miller grand slam to put WKU on top, 6-2. Rodriugez connected on his third home run of the season to make it 6-3. Following an hour-long lightning delay, the Panthers came back to get one in the bottom of the eighth on an RBI single by
Edwin Rios. The Hilltoppers would hold FIU to the four runs though as Ben Morrison came in the ninth for WKU and shut the Panthers down in order.
Saturday's game between FIU and WKU is slated for a 6 p.m. start from the FIU Baseball Stadium. Freshman
Andres Nunez will get the start for FIU while Austin King will get the ball for WKU.
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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). #####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 Ocean Bank Field at FIU Stadium. About FIU:
Florida International University is recognized as a Carnegie engaged university. It is a public research university with colleges and schools that offer more than 180 bachelor's, master's and doctoral programs in fields such as engineering, international relations, architecture, law and medicine. As one of South Florida's anchor institutions, FIU contributes $8.9 billion each year to the local economy. FIU is Worlds Ahead in finding solutions to the most challenging problems of our time. FIU emphasizes research as a major component of its mission. FIU has awarded over 200,000 degrees and enrolls more than 54,000 students in two campuses and three centers including FIU Downtown on Brickell, FIU@I-75, and the Miami Beach Urban Studios. FIU also supports artistic and cultural engagement through its three museums: the Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum, the Wolfsonian-FIU, and the Jewish Museum of Florida-FIU. FIU is a member of Conference USA and has over 400 student-athletes participating in 18 sports. For more information about FIU, visit http://www.fiu.edu/.?
