MIAMI – The FIU Baseball program scored six runs in the middle innings as they mounted the four-run comeback to take down the Long Island Sharks, 6-4, on Opening Day Friday night from FIU Baseball Stadium.
Panthers railed back from a 4-0 hole heading into the fifth, scoring three runs in the bottom half, a run in the sixth before tacking on a pair of runs in the seventh to hold on for the win.
FIU's pitching followed up, holding the Sharks to just one hit over the final five innings, led by winning pitcher
Logan Runde's four-scoreless innings. The Peosta, Iowa native dazzled allowed no hits and struck five Shark batters. Senior Ryan Cabarcas mowed down the Long Island batters in the eighth and ninth to secure the Panthers first win of 2024.
FIU began the comeback in the fifth, as
Ryne Guida ripped a double into the right centerfield gap for the Panther's first RBI of the season.
Armando Becerra later brought home the second run on a RBI single to right followed up by a
Alex Ulloa RBI walk to cut the deficit to one.
An Guida RBI groundout in the sixth tied up the ballgame. The Coral Springs native began his senior season with three RBIs and a double.
The Panthers took on their first lead of the night with a pair of RBI walks courtesy of
Brylan West and Guida, extending their to 6-4 to ensure the victory.
LIU issued nine walks on the night and allowed eight hits to the Panthers with West,
Jeff Liquori, Guida,
Chase Engelhard all recording base knocks with Ulloa and Becerra securing two-hit efforts.
The wins marks FIU first opening day victory since 2022 and the first opening day victory for FIU head coach
Rich Witten.
UP NEXT
FIU prepares for a pair of games on Saturday against the Sharks on Saturday, beginning at 2 p.m. with game two set for 6 p.m. It can be listened to on the FIU3932 Sports Radio Network.
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