CORAL GABLES, Fla. – A five-run first inning set the tone as the FIU baseball team secured a commanding 10-2 victory over the Miami Hurricanes on Wednesday night at Mark Light Field at Alex Rodriguez Park.
FIU (20-10) has now won five of its last six games, marking the program's best start through 30 games since 2014. The win also represents the Panthers' second consecutive road victory over Miami, following last season's triumph on May 8, 2024.
"Our players are really excited tonight. They're playing well and, most importantly, they believe in themselves," head coach
Rich Witten said. "Beating Miami isn't just about our team; it's about the entire program. Our alumni take pride in this game, our fans take pride in it—it means a lot to our team to represent FIU in this way."
FIU's offense exploded with 15 hits, with five Panthers recording multi-hit performances.
The scoring started early, as FIU struck for five runs on five hits in the first inning, including three doubles.
Andrew Ildefonso got the Panthers on the board with an RBI double to right center.
Javier Crespo followed with an RBI single, and
Austin Dearing ripped an RBI double down the left field line to push the lead to 3-0. Freshman
Cole Cleveland capped the inning with a two-run double into right field, giving FIU a commanding 5-0 advantage.
After Miami trimmed the deficit to 5-2 in the second inning, FIU responded in the third when Crespo launched a towering 436-foot home run to deep left field—his second of the season.
The Panthers put the game out of reach in the ninth, adding four more runs. Ulloa scored on a wild pitch before Dearing delivered his second double of the night, bringing home
Samuel Fischer and
Brylan West.
Brendan Roney capped the scoring with an RBI single to center.
FIU's pitching staff delivered a dominant performance, utilizing six pitchers to stifle the Hurricanes' offense.
Logan Runde made his ninth start of the season, tossing a scoreless first inning to earn his third win.
Ryan Reyerson followed with a brief relief appearance, while
Julian Mlodzinski worked 1.2 scoreless middle innings, striking out two.
Jaydon Bishop had a career night, hurling four scoreless innings while allowing just one hit.
Tracen Cameron also saw action before
Juan Villarreal closed the door with five outs, including three strikeouts, to seal the victory.
Offensively, Dearing led the way with three hits, including two doubles, and three RBIs. He now has 10 hits and six RBIs over his last six games. West notched his second consecutive three-hit game and his 11th multi-hit effort of the season. Frett added two hits, while Ildefonso extended his hitting streak to 10 games with a two-hit, one-RBI performance. Crespo continued his hot streak, collecting two hits, stretching his total to ten hits over his past eight games played.
UP NEXT
FIU heads to Ruston, Louisiana to take on the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs for a CUSA road series. First pitch on Friday, April 4 is set for 7 p.m. from J.C. Love Field at Pat Patterson Park and can be streamed on ESPN+.
BAPTIST HEALTH
Presented by Baptist Health, The Official Sports Medicine Provider of FIU Athletics
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