MIAMI (April 3, 2015) – The FIU baseball team (13-17, 5-5 C-USA) dropped the first game of a three-game set, 5-3, to the UTSA Roadrunners Friday night. The Panthers and Roadrunners took a 1-1 game into the sixth before UTSA stretched the score with a four-run inning.
FIU collected eight hits on the evening, highlighted by a 2-for-4 effort from sophomore J.C. Escarra, who recorded his fifth multi-hit game of the season and extended his hitting streak to 10 games. Senior
Julius Gaines, freshman
Jack Schaaf and junior
Austin Rodriguez all recorded RBIs in the loss. UTSA starting pitcher Brock Hartson threw a complete game, struck out one batter and allowed just two walks to go along with the eight hits.
Sophomore
Cody Crouse got the start on the mound for FIU, and went 5 1/3 innings while giving up four hits and four earned runs in the loss. Sophomore
Williams Durruthy and junior
Gianni Zayas combined for 3 2/3 innings of scoreless relief, tallying six total strikeouts and allowing just one hit between the two.
The Panthers were the first team to strike in the game when freshman
Spencer Levine reached on an error and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by junior
Rey Perez to set things up for Gaines. The senior captain drove Levine in with an RBI single to centerfield to make it a 1-0 game in the third inning.
The Roadrunners manufactured a run in the fifth with two outs, thanks to the patience at the plate and the speed of Geonte Jackson. Jackson worked a walk with two outs and then stole second, leading to a single by Trent Bowles to drive in Jackson. The Roadrunners added a big, four-run, sixth inning, highlighted by a two-run home run by Jesse Baker. UTSA led 5-1 after six innings.
FIU plated one run in the bottom of the ninth when Rodriguez drove in senior
Brian Portelli, but the Panthers stranded two runners resulting in a 5-3 UTSA victory.
Saturday's game between the Panthers and the Roadrunners will begin at 4:30 p.m. and will be televised on the American Sports Network. ?
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