MIAMI (Mar. 4, 2023) – Baseball hosted Harvard for a doubleheader on Saturday earning a, 18-17, walk-off win in the first game and taking the second game 7-1.
 
Redshirt senior Mike Rosario and redshirt junior Henry Wallen led the FIU offense in both games. Rosario finished the day 5-7 with five runs scored and two stolen bases. Wallen went 3-7 with six RBI.
 
Redshirt senior Angel Tiburcio and junior Orlando Hernandez were a stellar one-two punch on the mound in the second game. Tiburico started the game and went five innings, allowing only one run and striking out six Crimson batters. Hernandez came in in the sixth and pitched four scoreless innings, allowing no hits and picking up five strikeouts.
 
Game 1
The first game of the day was a high scoring affair as 35 total runs would be scored between the two sides.
 
Harvard opened the game with two grand slams, one in the first inning and another in the second inning. FIU also scored four runs in the first inning thanks to a leadoff double by Rosario, three walks, a hit by pitch and four wild pitches, to make the score 8-4 in favor of the Crimson.
 
The Panthers would cut the lead to 8-6 after two doubles and some well executed small ball pushed home two more runs.
 
The Crimson would rattle off six more runs to pull ahead 14-6 at the middle of the sixth.
 
FIU would then mount a comeback, tying the game at 14-14 after the bottom of the seventh.
 
A two-run double by junior Adrian Figueroa in the sixth helped cut the Harvard lead to 14-9. The Panthers would put six-consecutive batters on base in the bottom of the seventh and score five runs to tie the game at 14-14.
 
In the top of the ninth, Harvard surged back into the lead with a three-run inning.
 
With one final chance, FIU completed the comeback and would walk off for a second night in a row.

The first run scored on a bases loaded fielder's choice. Wallen delivered the second run with a single to right field.
 
Redshirt sophomore Brendan Roney would drove in the winning runs with a double to deep center field, as the Panthers would win 18-17.
 
Game 2
The FIU bats stayed hot in the second game of the day, scoring four runs in the first two innings.
 
The Panthers opened the game with back-to-back triples by Rosario and sophomore Marcus O'Malley and took a 2-0 lead.
 
Small ball in the second inning would help bring home the third run of the day with Rosario then launching a ball through the right side for an RBI, pushing the Panthers' advantage to 4-0.
 
Tiburcio was steady in his five-inning outing, limiting Harvard to just four hits, one run and posting three three-up-three-down innings.
 
An O'Malley two-run shot over the right field wall put FIU ahead, 4-1, after the sixth inning.
 
Redshirt junior Noel Perez would bring home the Panther's seventh run of the day after beating out a grounder to the pitcher, allowing sophomore Bryan Loriga to score from third, growing FIU's lead to 7-1.
 
Hernandez took the mound in the top of the sixth and threw four near-perfect innings. A walk in the eighth would serve as his only blemish as he blanked the Crimson and secured the win, 7-1, earning his first save of the year.
 
UP NEXT
FIU closes out its series with Harvard on Sunday March 5 with first pitch set for 1 p.m. Fans can watch the game live on C-USA TV.
 
SOCIAL MEDIA
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General athletic news can also be found at @FIUSports on Facebook and @FIUAthletics on Twitter and Instagram.