MIAMI (Feb. 21, 2023) – Baseball opened week two of the 2023 season at home against Bethune-Cookman on Tuesday night beating the Wildcats, 12-2.
 
Junior Ryne Guida continued to have the hot bat, going 4-6 with six RBI and a home run, his first for FIU. Redshirt senior Mike Rosario also stayed hot, going 3-5 with two RBI and a homerun, his team-best second of the season.
 
Former field player Mario Zabala made his pitching debut as a reliever, earning the win after throwing two scoreless innings and punching out three batters.
 
Junior Jackson Ritchey came out strong in his debut as a starter, striking the side out in order in the top of the first.
 
The Panthers' offense also came out strong, putting up three runs in the bottom of the first. An Alec Sanchez hit and a Dante Girardi walk brought up Guida who went deep over the left field wall to clear the bases and put FIU up 3-0.
 
The Wildcats would get on the board in the top of the second, but FIU responded with four more runs. Rosario delivered an RBI single and Guida cleared the bases with a single to center field to bring the score to 7-1.
 
FIU continued to build its lead with three more runs in the fifth. A sacrifice bunt by redshirt sophomore Brendan Roney would see two runs score after the pitcher threw the ball over the third baseman's head. Junior Steven Ondina tacked on another run in the inning with a sacrifice fly to left field to put FIU ahead 10-2.
 
The sixth inning would see redshirt Junior Henry Wallen register his first RBI as a Panther with a sacrifice fly that could have easily been a grand slam.
 
Rosario earned his second RBI of the night with a solo home run in the bottom of the seventh, pushing the Panthers' advantage to 12-2.
 
The pitching staff would keep the Wildcats off the board in the final two frames to secure the victory.

UP NEXT
FIU welcomes Missouri to FIU Baseball Stadium this week for a four-game set. Game one is Thursday February 23 with first pitch set for 6:30 p.m.
 
SOCIAL MEDIA
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