MIAMI – The FIU baseball team program dropped its series finale on Sunday afternoon, falling to Delaware 7-6, in 12 innings at FIU Baseball Stadium.
Despite holding a one-run lead in the ninth, the Panthers (7-1) saw the Blue Hens (1-5) rally late to secure their first victory of the season.
FIU jumped out to an early lead with a three-run first inning. After
Brylan West worked a walk and
Kishon Frett doubled, freshman
Cole Cleveland laced a two-run double down the right-field line.
Alex Ulloa followed with a sharp single to center, bringing home Cleveland to give the Panthers a 3-0 advantage.
Austin Dearing added to the lead with an RBI single in the third, scoring Frett, while
Javier Crespo's sacrifice fly in the fifth extended FIU's lead to 5-0 through six innings.
However, Delaware responded with a five-run seventh, highlighted by a three-run homer from Andrew Amato and a solo shot by Aaron Graeber to even the score.
The Panthers regained the lead in the bottom of the seventh when Crespo lined an RBI single to right-center, scoring West from second. But Delaware managed to load the bases in the ninth and pushed across the game-tying run on a wild pitch, forcing extra innings.
In the 12th, the Blue Hens capitalized on a bases-loaded situation, drawing an RBI walk to take the decisive lead.
On the mound, FIU starter
Logan Runde delivered another strong outing, tossing four scoreless innings with six strikeouts. The right-hander has now logged 10 shutout innings through his first three starts of the 2025 season.
The FIU bullpen was heavily utilized, with
David Eckaus (2.1 IP, 3 ER, 4 K),
Jarek Woodward (1.2 IP, 3 K), and a combination of
Tristan Dietrich,
Julian Mlodzinski,
Bryce Greene,
Bryce Turner,
Andrew Ildefonso, and
Toby Haarer all contributing in relief. As a staff, the Panthers racked up 20 strikeouts—tying the school record in strikeouts thrown in a single game.
Offensively, Dearing, Frett, and West led the way with two hits each, while Cleveland, Crespo, Ildefonso, and Ulloa each recorded a hit.
UP NEXT
FIU head to Tampa, Fla. to take on the South Florida Bulls on Tuesday, Feb. 25 at 6 p.m. It can be streamed live on ESPN+.
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