MIAMI – The FIU baseball team kicked off its four-game weekend series on Friday night, securing a 4-3 victory over Merrimack at FIU Baseball Stadium.
Debuting their VICE-inspired uniforms, the Panthers (8-2) capitalized on a three-run third inning and solid pitching to earn their eighth win of the season. FIU's 8-2 record marks its best start since 2020 and the strongest under third-year head coach
Rich Witten.
After two scoreless innings, FIU broke through in the third.
Brylan West lined an RBI single to left-center, scoring
Kareh Valentin from second. Two batters later,
Hector Candelas launched a towering two-run homer to right field—his first of the season—giving FIU a 3-0 advantage.
In the fifth, with the bases loaded,
Albert Serrano lifted a sacrifice fly to left-center, bringing home West to extend the lead to 4-0. Serrano has posted four RBI in his past two games.
Merrimack responded with a three-run seventh, cutting the deficit to one, but
Kevin Martin silenced the Warriors' offense with three scoreless innings to lock down his first save of the season.
Candelas led the way offensively, tallying three hits and two RBIs for his first three-hit performance of the season and second as a Panther.
Kishon Frett continued his hot streak with a two-hit night, marking his third multi-hit game in five outings. West extended his on-base streak to 14 games, finishing with a hit and an RBI, while Valentin added a double.
On the mound,
Logan Runde (2-0) continued his dominant start to the season, tossing three scoreless innings with two strikeouts while allowing just three hits. The senior has yet to allow a run in 13 innings this season, striking out 12.
Out of the bullpen,
David Eckaus was effective, fanning four in three innings, while
Bryce Greene made his team-leading sixth appearance of the year.
UP NEXT
FIU prepare for a doubleheader Saturday against Merrimack with game one set at 2 p.m.. Game two will follow 45 minutes after the conclusion of game one. Both games will be streamed live on ESPN+.
BAPTIST HEALTH
Presented by Baptist Health, The Official Sports Medicine Provider of FIU Athletics
SOCIAL MEDIA
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