Box Score MIAMI - The UALR baseball team (18-19, 5-11) struck out a season-high 19 times on its way to a 10-5 loss to Florida International (24-14, 10-6) on Friday night at FIU Baseball Stadium. FIU's Mike Martinez drove in five runs in the win and hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the seventh to help the Golden Panthers put the game out of reach. Saturday's game between UALR and FIU has been moved up to 10 a.m. (CT) in anticipation of poor weather conditions in the afternoon.
FIU starter Mason McVay racked up nine strikeouts over 4.0 innings to help lead the Golden Panthers to an early 3-2 lead, but left in the top of the fifth after opening the inning with three-straight walks. Eddy Pidermann came on in relief of McVay and struck out three-consecutive Trojans to leave the bases loaded. It marked the second time the Trojans stranded three runners in an inning, as UALR left nine men on base in the loss.
Piedermann got the win in relief to improve to 7-0 on the year by striking out seven batters while limiting the Trojans to two hits and a run over 3.0 innings. John Costa fanned three batters over the final 2.0 innings to bring FIU's strikeout total to 19.
UALR junior Blake Johnson went 2-for-4 in the loss and extended his hit streak to 12 games with a solo homer in the top of the fourth. Senior Sean Bignall added a 2-for-5 performance and increased his season RBI total to 50 with a two-run double in the top of the ninth.
Senior Chance Cleveland (7-3) took the loss after allowing six hits and four runs over 6.0 innings. Two of Cleveland's four runs came in the bottom of the sixth, however, as the Pine Bluff, Ark.-native held FIU to two runs and four hits over the first five frames.
UALR loaded the bases with two outs on the board in the top of the first as McVay issued a pair of walks around a single by Bignall. McVay then hit junior Chris Burk with the bags full to force across a run and put the Trojans on the board. UALR had a chance to add to its lead, but McVeigh managed to strike out the next batter he faced to leave three runners on.
A leadoff walk in the bottom half proved costly for the Trojans, as FIU managed to tie the game at 1-all after Pablo Bermudez walked to start the inning off. Bermudez advanced on a groundout to second and a single by Jabari Henry, and scored from third on a sacrifice fly to right by Martinez.
Tied at 1-all, Johnson gave the Trojans a 2-1 lead by opening the fourth with a solo homer to left center. FIU answered in the bottom half as Nathan Burns gave the Golden Panthers a spark by opening the frame with his conference-leading eighth triple of the year. With runners on the corners and one out, T.J. Shantz tied things up at 2-all with a RBI base knock to right. Henry moved over to third on the single, and scored on the next at-bat to give FIU a 3-2 lead as Oscar Aguirre lifted a sacrifice fly to center.
McVay struck out the next three batters after surrendering Johnson's homer to bring his total to nine strikeouts in four innings, but opened the top of the fifth with three-straight walks to load the bases with no outs on the board. FIU turned things over to Pidermann with three men on and no outs, and the sophomore reliever struck out three straight to escape the jam and force UALR to leave the bags full for the second time in the game.
Pidermann opened the sixth inning with his fourth-straight strikeout before junior Myles Parma doubled to right center. Parma advanced on a single through the left side by sophomore Bryson Thionnet, and scored on a RBI groundout by junior David Guarno to tie things up at 3-3.
The Golden Panthers answered the Trojans once again in the bottom of the sixth, pushing across two runs to take a 5-3 lead. FIU's first two hitters reached base to start off the frame, as Burns singled and Henry drew a walk. Martinez followed with a double down the left field line to plate Burns, and Henry scored on the next play off an RBI groundout by Aguirre.
FIU broke the game open in the bottom of the seventh, rallying for five runs off the UALR bullpen to take a 10-3 lead. Henry made it a 7-3 ballgame with a two-run single to right, and Martinez put the game out of reach with a three-run homer to left - his fourth of the year.
Costa worked an uneventful eighth inning, but a walk to Guarno and single by senior Cameron Bentley set the stage for a two-run double to left by Bignall in the ninth. Costa prevented UALR from drawing any closer by retiring the next two batters he faced, and capped off the win with FIU's 19th strikeout of the night.
UALR and FIU return to action tomorrow afternoon at 10 a.m. (CT).
