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Chris Mourelle
IT'S A MOURELLE: FIU loved Chris Mourelle's vintage performance which notched his 23rd career win.
0
Jacksonville State JSU 0-1
5
Winner FIU FIU 1-0
Jacksonville State JSU
0-1
0
Final
5
FIU FIU
1-0
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Jacksonville State JSU 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 1
FIU FIU 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 4 X 5 5 0

W: Mourelle, Chris (1-0) L: Garrett Farmer (0-1)

Game Recap: Baseball |

FIU Pitching is "Merv"ulous to Give Coach Mervyl Melendez a 5-0 Win in His Debut

Chris Mourelle led a combined shutout as FIU rolled past Jacksonville State 5-0 on Opening Day at the FIU ballpark on Friday. The senior-right hander and three other FIU hurlers limited the Gamecocks to five hits in the first game of the 2017 season and delivered new coach Mervyl Melendez a victory in his debut as the Panthers' skipper.

It was a vintage performance by Mourelle (1-0), who notched his 23rd career FIU win to snap a tie with Edwin Franco for fifth all-time at FIU. Mourelle's next win will tie him with R.J. Fondon for fourth on the FIU career wins list.

Mourelle pitched six scoreless innings, allowed four hits, a walk and struck out seven – to tie a career-high in strikeouts that he set against Marshall in the final game of the 2016 season.

Mourelle retired the first six batters he faced before doing a Houdini-like escape from a jam in the third inning. Andrew Naismith and Chase Robinson singled and doubled, respectively, to start the third. However, Mourelle struck out Peyton Williams, got a fielder's choice ground ball from Nolan Greckel and had Clayton Daniel line out to quell the threat.

Freshmen right-handers Nick MacDonald and Tyler Myrick followed Mourelle by each tossing a scoreless inning. Junior college transfer left-hander Andrew George finished the game when Josh Bobo bounced into a 1-4-3 double play.

The Panthers got the only run they needed in the bottom of the fifth. After JSU starter Garrett Farmer (0-1) recorded the first two outs of the inning, Nick Day doubled to left center. Eddie Silva followed with a single to center to score Day.

FIU added four runs in the bottom of the eighth thanks to some wildness from the JSU bullpen. Gamecocks relievers Nate Sylvester and Grant Chandler each walked and hit a batter in the inning. Chandler's walk to freshman Javier Valdes with the bases loaded forced in a run. Zack Soria and Kenny Meimerstorf had RBI singles following the bases loaded free pass. Meimerstorf was 2 for 4.

FIU and JSU play game two of the series Saturday at 7 p.m. when Panthers left-hander Dominic LoBrutto toes the rubber against Gamecocks right-hander Colton Pate. There is no PantherVision broadcast Saturday but Sunday's series finale at 1 p.m. can be seen on PantherVision.
 
 
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