LAS CRUCES, NM – FIU Baseball's Armando Becerra completed the second cycle in program history Saturday afternoon as the Panthers secured a series victory in an 18-12 win over the New Mexico State Aggies on the road.
For Becerra, he became the second Panther to achieve this feat and first since 1980 when Joe Hughes hit for the cycle on March 23, 1980 against the UCF Knights.
The senior had a sensational afternoon in Las Cruces, going 5-for-6 with seven runs batted in alongside a pair of doubles. Becerra got the day started with an RBI double in the first, followed by a two-run homer in the second, his second home run in as many days. In the third, the Hialeah, Fla. native singled to bring home a run. He secured the cycle in the seventh as he laced a triple down the right field line.
Additionally, Becerra brought home the eventual game-winning runs in the ninth with a two-double into left field, propelling FIU to an seven-run ninth inning.
FIU notched their 22nd win of the season, already the most wins in a single-season under the guidance of second-year head coach Rich Witten. The series victory is the fifth Conference USA series win of the year out of six CUSA matchups this season.
The offense was the storyline for both teams, and especially the Panthers, logging a season-high of 23 hits. The 23 hits are the most in a FIU baseball game since March 29, 2016 vs Bethune Cookman. It is the second consecutive game FIU has 20 or more hits, while becoming the 19th game this season with 10 or more as a ballclub.
For a second straight night, the Panthers jumped out the gates early offensively, taking an 10-2 lead in the fourth. New Mexico State fought back in the middle innings, eventually holding a 12-11 edge over FIU into the ninth. A seventh-run inning in the ninth with three extra-base hits sealed the deal for the Panthers.
After an RBI double for Becerra in the first, FIU plated three runs in the second, highlighted by the two-run homer from Becerra while Roylan Quevedo scored on a throwing error at third base.
In the third inning, FIU staged a five-run inning that began with a Quevedo RBI double into the left centerfield gap. The sophomore Quevedo had a pair of doubles, his first multi-hit game of the season and a career-high in doubles in a single game for the Miami native.
Brylan West singled to center, scoring Quevedo that pushed the lead to 6-0. Becerra added with a RBI single, before Guida polished off the inning with a two-run homer, his fifth of the season and extended his on-base streak to 24 games.
Samuel Fischer added with a double in the fourth to score Austin Dearing as FIU held an eight-run advantage in the fourth. The Aggies would score nine runs heading in the seventh, cutting the ballgame to just a run. Becerra posted the cycle-breaking triple in the inning, putting the Panthers up a pair of runs.
New Mexico State would tack on three runs combined in the seventh and eighth, holding a one-run lead into the ninth.
The Panthers offense carried into the final frame as after they loaded the bases with nobody out, Becerra hit the game-winning double to take a 13-12 lead. Next batter up, Guida singled to center for an RBI knock. Alex Ulloa logged a double into the left centerfield gap to hold a three-run advantage. The dagger came off the bat of Austin Dearing who belted a three-run homer to right centerfield, adding to a 18-12 score. Jackson Ritchey worked a scoreless ninth inning to secure the win.
Seven Panthers posted multi-hit efforts, led by Becerra's five hit-performance. Austin Dearing, Ryne Guida, and Brylan West marked three-hit games while Jeff Liquori and Quevedo had two hits each. The Panthers offense hit seven doubles, the most doubles in a game since March 1, 2015 vs Manhattan.
Zac Lampton earned the win on the mound, firing off four innings of work on three earned runs and four strikeouts.
UP NEXT
FIU looks for its first CUSA series sweep of the season on Sunday, April 21 for a 1 p.m. first pitch from Las Cruces.
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