MIAMI – The FIU baseball program continue their hot start in Conference USA action, earning their third straight CUSA series victory on Saturday afternoon in an 8-3 win over the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs from FIU Baseball Stadium.
 
With the victory, FIU improves to an overall 15-13 mark with a 6-3 record in league action. It marks the first time in program history that FIU has taken the first three conference series as members of Conference USA, dating back to their first season in 2014.
 
The Panthers dominated from the start, jumping on a 4-0 lead early in the first and never looked back. Ryne Guida got the scoring started with an RBI single, scoring Andre Martinez. Junior Alex Ulloa lifted a three-run homer out to left for his fifth homer of the year, leading the team with four RBIs on the afternoon.
 
Lefty Ryan Cabarcas made his first start of the season and set the tone all afternoon to earn his fourth win of the season. He fired four scoreless frames, striking out five batters on just four hits. It is the fifth time this season the senior has struck out five batters in a game. "I was throwing all my pitches for strikes and I felt great out there, "Cabarcas said. "We are playing relaxed and playing with a lot of confidence."
 
FIU added a run in the sixth on a Brendan Roney RBI single into right field, extending their lead to five. In the seventh, the Bulldogs got on the board, cutting it to a four-run ballgame, yet FIU cashed in on a three-run seventh that did the job. Adrian Figueroa tripled into right field that scored Guida as he notched his second consecutive multi-hit effort.
 
After Ulloa scored Figueroa on a sacrifice fly, Jeff Liquori went yard with a solo shot well into the FIU Nature Preserve for his 7^th homer of the year and his team-leading 29^th RBI of the campaign. In addition, the Lake Mary, Fla. native extended his hit-streak to 11 games.
 
The Bulldogs traded runs in the eighth and ninth innings but was not enough as FIU ran away with a conference victory.
 
Orlando Hernandez worked three innings, allowing two earned runs, and struck out two. Logan Runde closed out the afternoon with two strikeouts on one earned run allowed in two innings.



UP NEXT
FIU hits the road to Fort Myers as they take on the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles on Tuesday, April 2 in a midweek matchup from Swanson Stadium. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. and can be streamed on ESPN+.

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