The last time FIU hosted Florida Memorial, the game could have used a 10-run mercy rule. Wednesday night’s game needed 10 innings before FIU scratched and slapped out a 3-2 win in front of 97 fans at FIU Baseball Stadium.
Brandon Gomez’s two-out single between third base and shortstop brought in junior Aramis Garcia, who extended his hitting streak to 15 games by leading off the 10th inning with a single.
Garcia moved to second on a passed ball during junior Josh Anderson’s strikeout, then to third on sophomore Edwin Rios’ groundout to second.
FIU (17-4, 3-3 Conference USA) got the winning run off Florida Memorial junior reliever Michael Hardison. Hardison took over in the ninth from starter Eduardo Delgado, a freshman from Homestead South Dade.
Between Delgado’s pitching and the occasional diving outfield robbery — right fielder Gerald Tejada and center fielder Diego Perez each had one — this game appeared from an alternate reality compared to FIU’s 23-1 battering of Florida Memorial three weeks ago.
The Lions took a 2-0 lead in the fifth when a throwing error by FIU freshman starter Williams Durruthy followed by a walk put the runners on that Chris Perez scored with his double down the third-base line off reliever Jason Morozowski.
Delgado was one out from getting out of the seventh unscathed when he hit junior Brian Portelli. FIU sent Roche Woodard in to pinch run for Portelli and freshman Gunner McNeill up to pinch hit. McNeill singled. A walk to Tyler Hibbert loaded the bases for L.K. Thompson.
Thompson’s at-bat looked less promising when he fouled a ball off his right foot, dropping himself to all fours for two minutes. After examination by the trainer, Thompson got back into his box and singled through the pitcher’s box to score Woodard and McNeill.
david j. neal
UM wins in 10 innings
Freshman outfielder Willie Abreu broke a 2-2 deadlock with an RBI single in the 10th, and No. 25 Miami (12-10) captured a thrilling 5-2 victory over host Florida Gulf Coast (13-8).
With speedy outfielders Dale Carey and Tyler Palmer on base, Abreu laced a pitch from Brady Anderson (1-1) that split the Eagles’ middle infield and scored Carey from second. Senior Brad Fieger would add to the onslaught, ripping a ball that FGCU third baseman Ryan O’Malley couldn’t handle to score Palmer. An RBI single by Garrett Kennedy that scored pinch runner Ricky Eusebio capped the 10th-inning rally, as freshman Bryan Garcia (2-1) closed it out with three clean innings of relief.
men’s basketball
Barry sophomore forward Yunio Barrueta was named to the National Basketball Coaches Association of America All-South District Second Team.
women’s tennis
The University of Miami (12-2) picked up its eighth consecutive win, posting a 6-1 victory against Princeton.
men’s golf
Barry’s Adam Svensson won his school-record fifth tournament of the season Tuesday, shooting a 3-under-par 67 in the final round of the Bobcat Invitational in Atonton, Ga. The Bucs, ranked No. 1, finished second as a team.
softball
Barry (18-8) swept the Molloy Lions in a doubleheader at Buccaneer Field on Wednesday afternoon, shutting out the Lions 3-0 and 2-0 in the two games.
horse racing
Cairo Prince, a convincing winner of the Miller Lite Holy Bull Stakes (Grade II) in his most recent start, tops a group of 97 3-year-olds nominated for the $1 million Besilu Stables Florida Derby (Grade 1) on March 29 at Gulfstream Park.
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