MIAMI – The FIU baseball program clinched a pivotal series victory Saturday night, defeating first-place No. 17 Western Kentucky, 6-4, at FIU Baseball Stadium.
The Panthers (25-18, 8-8 CUSA) recorded their first series win over a ranked opponent since May 19-21, 2016 vs #13 Southern Miss, while also extending their winning streak to three games.
FIU struck first in the second inning with an RBI single to right field from Cole Cleveland. The Panthers then erupted for a five-run third inning, capped by a three-run homer from shortstop Alex Ulloa, giving FIU a commanding 6-1 lead.
Kishon Frett was hit by a pitch and Javier Crespo followed with a single to put runners on the corners. Austin Dearing lined an RBI single into right field to score Frett, and Andrew Ildefonso added an RBI single to left. Ulloa then launched his sixth home run of the season—and second in as many games—bringing his team-leading RBI total to 34.
Western Kentucky responded with runs in the fourth and fifth innings to cut the deficit to 6-3. However, FIU's pitching staff held firm, limiting the Hilltoppers' late-game opportunities. WKU managed to score one more run in the ninth on an RBI single but could not complete the comeback.
Logan Runde earned the win for FIU, tossing four innings while allowing two earned runs and striking out three. Jarek Woodward bridged the middle innings with two innings of work, yielding one earned run with a strikeout. Kevin Martin added 2.2 innings of relief, striking out three and allowing one run, before Juan Villarreal closed the door by recording the final out for his third save of the season.
Offensively, the Panthers tallied nine hits. Crespo, Ildefonso, and Ulloa each posted two hits in the heart of the lineup, with Ulloa totaling four hits over the past two games. Cleveland, Dearing, and Brendan Roney each chipped in a hit to round out the attack.
UP NEXT
FIU looks for the series sweep on Sunday, April 27 at noon. It will be streamed live on ESPN+ from FIU Baseball Stadium.
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