MIAMI – Behind a dominant performance on the mound, the FIU baseball program secured a series-opening 3-1 victory over No. 17 Western Kentucky Friday night at FIU Baseball Stadium.
The win marks the Panthers' (24-18, 7-8 CUSA) first ranked victory since April 22, 2023, against No. 22 UTSA, and their highest-ranked triumph since defeating No. 17 Southern Miss on May 21, 2016.
FIU jumped ahead early in the second inning. With runners on second and third and one out, Brendan Roney lifted a sacrifice fly to center field, bringing home Andrew Ildefonso to give the Panthers a 1-0 lead.
The Panthers added to their advantage in the fourth, as Alex Ulloa launched his fifth home run of the season, extending the lead to 2-0. In the fifth, Javier Crespo drove a line drive over the Western Kentucky (34-8, 11-5 CUSA) shortstop's head, plating Cole Cleveland and pushing the lead to 3-0.
Starting pitcher Easton Marks turned in a masterful performance, tossing 6.2 innings and allowing just one earned run while striking out seven Hilltoppers. Marks opened the game with six consecutive scoreless innings, marking his third outing this season with at least six innings pitched.
Western Kentucky managed to scratch across a run with a two-out single in the seventh, but reliever Jaydon Bishop shut the door. Bishop recorded the final seven outs without surrendering a hit, striking out three to clinch the Friday night opener.
At the plate, FIU recorded 10 hits, with Brylan West, Brendan Roney, and Alex Ulloa each turning in multi-hit efforts. West extended his on-base streak to 18 games and has notched eight hits over his last five contests. Roney has recorded base hits in eight of his last nine games, while Ulloa tallied his 16th multi-hit game of the season.
UP NEXT
FIU prepares for game two of the weekend series vs No. 17 Western Kentucky on Saturday, April 26 from FIU Baseball Stadium. First pitch is set for 5 p.m. and can be streamed on ESPN+.
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