The final series of the Owls’ regular season ended on a high note as they completed a three-game sweep of rival FIU with a 12-1 victory on Saturday, May 18. FAU defeated the Golden Panthers 4-3 on Thursday and 3-0 on Friday.
The Owls made their case for this win early on in the contest.
After a two-run first inning, back-to-back walks issued to FAU senior catcher Mike Spano and sophomore third baseman Ricky Santiago helped set up a two RBI situation in the second inning. Junior outfielder Tyler Rocklein sent a single down the middle to plate both runners.
Junior Levi Meyer, slated at the designated spot for the afternoon, would be the next Owl to step into the batter’s box and he blasted his fifth homerun of the season. Meyer’s two-run homer capped off a seven-run second inning for FAU.
FAU would add on some insurance, recording three more runs in the fifth on RBI hits from outfielder Nathan Pittman and right fielder Geoff Jimenez.
This was the 13th consecutive game in which Pittman recorded at least one hit. He went 1-for-3 with a walk and two RBIs.
The big lead would be enough for Owls pitchers, as seniors Jake Meiers and Michael Sylvestri combined with sophomore Bo Logan to hold FIU to just a single run.
Meiers, who pitched three innings, allowing four hits, no runs, and striking out two batters, received the win, his fifth of the season (5-3).
Six FAU batters totaled two or more hits on the afternoon, including freshman second baseman Brendon Sanger, who had three hits and three RBIs.
With the win, FAU concludes its season with an overall record of 35-20 and Sun Belt conference mark of 19-11. They’re currently one game ahead of Louisiana-Lafayette for the No. 3 seed in next week’s conference tournament.
ULL faces Louisiana-Monroe on Saturday, with a Louisiana-Lafayette loss solidifying FAU’s place as the third seed. A ULL win would bump the Owls down to the No. 4 seed, where they’d face Western Kentucky.
FAU begins Sun Belt Conference Tournament play on Wednesday, May 22 in Lafayette, LA. The Owls’ opponents and game times are still yet to be determined.
