MIAMI - The FIU baseball rallied back for a second straight day, notching their first conference series of the season over the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders in a 16-6 run rule victory on Sunday afternoon from FIU Baseball Stadium.

FIU trailed 6-0 after five innings, but once again the Cardiac Cats came to do damage, plating sixth in the fifth to tie up the ballgame. A pair of hit by pitches and a walk loaded the bases up as FIU scored three on a Alex Ulloa RBI walk, Jeff Liquori and Ronny Media hit by pitches that cut the deficit to three.

Freshman Samuel Fischer who earned his first RBIs as a Panther on Friday, March 15, responded right back with two-run single to left center, making it a one-run ballgame. Andre Martinez tied up the game on a RBI single to center, putting FIU right back on the map.

In the sixth, FIU blown the game right open with a second consecutive sixth spot. Austin Dearing and Ryne Guida began the inning getting on base, setting up for Ulloa to rocket a baseball into deep left center for a three-run homer, his fourth of the season. Next batter up, Liquori lined a baseball over the right field wall to complete the back-to-back homers, notching his sixth of the year. Later in the frame, Martinez joined in on the action with a two-run homer out to left field, eventually finishing the day with three hits and four RBIs as FIU led by six.

After a scoreless seventh for lefty Ryan Cabarcas, the offense got the job done to earn the run-rule victory, plating four in the frame, highlighted by a walk-off RBI single for Andre Martinez, putting the Panthers over the Blue Raiders on Sunday afternoon, earning their 11th win of the season.

Cabarcas (3-1) secured the win out the bullpen, working three innings, allowing two earned runs over the span with five strikeouts.

Joel Pinerio made his fifth start of the year, only going four innings on four earned runs allowed and three punchouts.

POSTGAME NOTES

- FIU wins the conference opening series for the first time since 2022, when the Panthers took down Marshall to open up CUSA play.
- Andre Martinez recorded a three-hit game alongside four RBIs, seven RBIs total all weekend long.
- Martinez has seven hits and 10 RBIs in his past four games played.
- Ulloa recorded a two-hit game, his third straight game with 2+ hits, 8 multi-hit performances this season for the junior.
- Ulloa reached all five at-bats, three walks, two hits, and four RBIs.
- Liquori hit his sixth HR of the season, team-leader in HRs (6) and RBIs (21).
- With a walk, Austin Dearing extended his on-base streak to eight games.
- Four game hitting streak for Brylan West, 8 hits in his past four games.
- Ronny Medina got on-base all four times this afternoon, walked three times. Career-high in a Panther uniform with 3 RBIs.
- Seventh game this season and fourth straight game with 10+ hits for the team.



UP NEXT
FIU begin the first of four crosstown clashes with the Miami Hurricanes this Tuesday, March. 19 from Alex Rodriguez Park at Mark Light Field. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. and can be streamed on ACC Network Extra.

SOCIAL MEDIA
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