Baseball: FAU falls in semifinals of Conference USA Tournament to Rice
The Owls allowed a tournament high 13 runs, six of which came in the fourth inning.
FAU junior second basemen Stephen Kerr runs toward third base and eventually home on a single from junior CJ Chatham during the top of fourth inning versus the St. Louis Cardinals on March 2. Max Jackson | Staff Photographer
May 27, 2017
Florida Atlantic baseball’s hopes of a conference championship ended Saturday afternoon after it fell 13-2 to Rice University in Biloxi, Mississippi.
Rice (30-29) used a big fourth inning to put away the Owls (35-21-1), scoring six of its runs in that inning alone after already leading 4-0. Rice’s first four runs came via two separate two-run home runs — one by Ryan Chandler in the first and the other by Tristan Gray in the third.
The Owls pitching unit allowed 13 hits with those 13 runs, but none had it worst than senior Cameron Ragsdale. Despite only pitching for 2.2 innings, he allowed team highs with five hits and five runs.
Senior Stephen Kerr, who finished what could be his final collegiate game 2-for-3, had both of the FAU ‘s runs on two home runs. One came in the fourth and the latter in the six, with both were to left field.
In total, just four Owls had a hit on the day, including Kerr and junior David Miranda, who finished 2-for-3.
FAU will now hope to receive an at-large bid for the NCAA Tournament during Selection Sunday.
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_.
