The FAU Owls baseball and Boston College Eagles brought identical 5-3 records into their two game tune-up series in Boca Raton on March 4 and 5.

The teams exited the series the way they came in and each headed off to start their respective conference seasons.

In game one, the Owls won 4-3, surviving a late-inning rally. The Eagles won game two, 10-6 in much of the same fashion.

Game one started slow, with wind gusts and clouds looming overhead. There were no runs scored, one hit, and seven walks through the first three innings.

As the winds died down and the clouds dissipated, the Owls came out swinging, scoring three runs off two singles and two sacrifice flies while benefiting from three walks and a wild pitch in the fourth.

The Owls enjoyed a 4-0 lead and a combined no hitter through six and a third innings until first baseman Michael Belfiore broke out with the Eagles’ first hit of the game.

The Eagles rallied in the top of the eighth, scoring three runs off two singles, a walk, and an error.

FAU freshman pitcher Glen Troyanowski stopped the Owls’ suffering, striking out three batters in the final one and a third innings to earn his first career save.

Freshman Mike Gipson earned his first career win for pitching four innings, striking out four, walking one, and allowing three hits and three earned runs. The loss went to Eagles starter Ted Ratliff, who pitched three and a third innings striking out three, walking six, and allowing four hits and three earned runs.

The second game of the series started 30 minutes late because of a rain delay. The wet field didn’t slow down the Eagles. They wasted no time with their first three batters reaching base and catcher Tony Sanchez driving in lead-off man Marc Perdios.

The Owls took the lead when left fielder Jeremy Griffiths tripled twice and designated hitter Tom Hatcher homered helping the Owls score four runs from the third through fifth innings.

The Eagles regained the lead in the top of the sixth, scoring six runs off five hits, two walks, and an error.

The Eagles added three insurance runs in the top of the ninth to take a 10-4 lead.

The Owls put on a one out rally in the bottom of the ninth inning, scoring two runs off three hits and an error. There were two men on base when the Eagles switched Belfiore from first base to pitcher. He got clean-up hitter Mick McKenna to strike out looking and first baseman Travis Ozga to fly out to right field to end the game. It was Belfiore’s first save of the season.

Eagles’ freshman pitcher Dave Laufer picked up his first career win, pitching two thirds of an inning allowing two hits and no runs. FAU pitcher Chris Schmitt suffered his first loss, allowing three hits and one earned run while recording no outs, bringing his season record to 1-1.

Following the games, the Owls headed out-of-town to start Sun Belt play against Arkansas-Little Rock and the Eagles traveled south to begin Atlantic Coast Conference play against the University of Miami. The Owls won one game against UALR, with two snowed out. The Eagles were swept in three games by the Hurricanes in Coral Gables.