Baseball: FAU’s offense remains hot, defeats Bethune-Cookman
The Owls have scored 43 runs over the last four games.
Freshman Gary Mattis picked up eight RBIs in the Owls victory over Bethune-Cookman, one short of the program record. Ryan Lynch | Editor in Chief
March 7, 2017
Florida Atlantic baseball’s offensive dominance over the last few games continued Tuesday night, as the Owls (7-4-1) defeated Bethune Cookman 12-6 in Daytona Beach, Florida.
FAU has now scored 43 runs over the last four games and has reached home at least 10 times in three of those games.
After the Owls took a 5-0 lead after the first inning — thanks in large part to a grand slam off the bat of freshman outfielder Gary Mattis — the Wildcats (8-4) cut the lead to one in the second inning. However, Mattis came up big again his next at-bat, going over the scoreboard with a two-run shot in the third.
In the fifth, sophomore Tyler Frank was walked with the bases loaded for an 8-5 lead. Three more runs came across the next inning via a double by freshman Eric Rivera that allowed junior David Miranda to score, and another two-bagger by Mattis to allow Rivera and senior Austin Langham to reach home.
Mattis finished the game 4-for-5 with two home runs, including a grand slam, and eight RBIs. His RBI total was just one short of the program record, shared by Nick DelGuidice and Raymond Church, who each achieved the feat in 2010.
Freshman Nick Prather picked up his first collegiate victory in 3 1/3 innings of work. He gave up just one run and struck out four batters.
FAU will return home to face Maine on Wednesday, March 7, at 6:30 p.m.
Hans Belot Jr. is the sports editor of the University Press. For information regarding this or other stories, email [email protected] or tweet him at @Don_Phenom_.
