This past weekend, Florida Atlantic baseball (13-7) took on the University of Maryland at Baltimore County (7-8) at FAU Baseball Stadium. The Owls fought through a competitive three-game series and left with two dramatic extra-inning victories to win the series over the Retrievers.
Friday, March 13
FAU opened the weekend with a thrilling 10-9 walk-off victory in 11 innings.
Sophomore James Litman got the start for the Owls and got through 5 ⅓ innings. The Owls jumped out early when outfielder Michael Perazza drove in the first run of the game with a sacrifice fly in the opening inning. Infielder Jayden Harriel followed in the second with his first career home run to give FAU a 2-0 lead. The teams traded runs through the middle innings, with UMBC eventually taking a 6-4 lead heading into the ninth.
Down to their final out, Perazza delivered one of the biggest swings of the night. Facing a 1-2 count, the redshirt sophomore launched a two-run home run over the right-center field wall to tie the game and force extra innings.
UMBC appeared to take control in the 11th, scoring three runs to move ahead 9-6. The Owls responded once again in the bottom of the inning. After loading the bases with two outs, infielder John Martinez lined a single to left field that brought home Perazza and infielder Brando Leroux, finishing the comeback and sealing the walk-off win.
Martinez, Perazza, infielder Nick Romano and catcher Ian Collier each recorded two hits for the Owls, while Martinez’s game-winning hit extended his team lead in RBIs. Senior Bryan Boully took the win with FAU using 5 pitchers through 11 innings.
Saturday, March 14
UMBC evened the series Saturday afternoon with a 14-3 victory.
Both teams were kept scoreless through the first four innings as FAU starter Kide Adetuyi and UMBC’s Zach Robinson kept hitters in check. The Retrievers broke through in the fifth inning, but the Owls quickly answered when Nick Romano drove in outfielder Marshall Lipsey to tie the game at 1-1.
The game shifted in the seventh when UMBC erupted for five runs after loading the bases with no outs. The rally sparked a big offensive surge for the Retrievers, who added eight more runs across the eighth and ninth innings.
FAU finished with nine hits in the loss, with Romano, Perazza, and infielder Eli Small combining for six of them. Control issues on the mound proved costly for the Owls, as UMBC drew 14 walks throughout the game from nine different pitchers..
Sunday, March 15
FAU responded in Sunday’s final game, defeating UMBC 4-3 in 10 innings to secure the series.
Freshman Garrett Grant got the start and pitched 4 ⅓ innings with Bryan Boully taking another win on the weekend. The Retrievers struck first with a two-out rally in the opening inning and later extended their lead to 2-0 in the third. The Owls answered in the bottom of the inning when Perazza hit a sacrifice fly to bring home outfielder Kyle Boylston and cut the lead in half.
After UMBC added another run, FAU tied the game in the eighth inning. A dropped pop-up allowed Martinez to reach second base, and he later scored when Eli Small’s high chopper bounced over the first baseman’s head.
Strong relief pitching from Zach Kilby and Bryan Boully kept UMBC off the scoreboard in late innings. Boully delivered three scoreless innings to give FAU the chance to walk it off.
In the bottom of the 10th, Perazza led off with a single and moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt by Leroux. Martinez followed with a single before Small put the ball in play to the right side, allowing Perazza to race home and score the winning run.
With the win, FAU secured the weekend series and improved to 13-7 on the season.
The Owls look to carry the momentum at FAU Baseball Stadium on Tuesday, March 17, taking on Florida Gulf Coast University at 6:30 p.m.
Sophia Rodriguez is a Staff Writer for the University Press. Email her at [email protected] for more information on this or other stories.
