TALLAHASSSEE (March 20, 2019) – To close out a four game road trip, the FIU baseball team dropped a heartbreaker to Florida State on Wednesday by a 9-6 margin.

With the loss, the Panthers move to 10-10 on the season. Florida State sits at 15-5.

Connor Grady was given the victory for FSU. Gio Soto was handed the loss to fall to 0-2 on the season.
 
In his first career start, freshman Chris Williams provided lightning in the FIU lineup going 3-for-5 and batting leadoff. The duo of Adan Fernandez and Austin Shenton backed Williams' lightning up with some thunder. Fernandez hit a solo homer over the left field wall to open the Panther scoring in the third, while Shenton slugged a no-doubter over right as well in the fifth to drive in two. Shenton also drove in two more in the third inning to give the junior four RBIs on the day.

FSU began the scoring in the second frame, after the Seminoles scored four to take an early lead. FIU bounced back to tie it at four-all in the next half inning as the Panthers plated four runs in the top half of the third. 
 
Fernandez's homer jump started the rally before a John Rodriguez walk, Williams single and a Lorenzo Hampton, Jr. intentional walk set the stage for Shenton's bases loaded two-run double to left center. Hampton advanced to third and later scored on a Jose Garcia sacrifice fly to left.
 
A scoreless fourth proceeded Shenton's fifth inning two-run blast that scored Hampton and gave FIU a brief 6-4 lead. FSU cut the lead to one in the home half of the fifth with a solo shot to left.
 
The sixth inning saw fireworks in the field for the Panthers. The inning opened with Will Saxton surrendering back-to-back leadoff walks. Saxton was replaced by Angel Tiburico. Three pitches into his outing and with the runners moving on contact, FSU's Cooper Swanson popped up a bunt to FIU first basemen Seth Cannady. The sophomore then tossed it to shortstop Rodriguez, who was covering second, to double off the runner at second. Rodriguez then threw it to Kobe Lopez to complete the routine 3-6-4 triple play at first.
 
The game was decided with one swing of the bat in the eighth inning when a Seminole batter hit a three-run homer.
 
FSU's J.C Flowers was given the save after pitching a clean inning in the ninth.
 
UP NEXT
FIU returns home and to C-USA play on Friday, March 22. The Panthers host the Hilltoppers of WKU in a three-game weekend set. Friday's first pitch is slated for 7 p.m. at FIU Baseball Stadium.
 
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