BOCA RATON, Fla. - Florida Atlantic scored five runs over the middle three innings while avoiding a repeat of the University of New Orleans' Friday offensive fireworks in a 7-2 victory on Saturday at FAU Stadium.
It was a much different performance on the mound for the FAU (25-19, 8-14 Sun Belt) pitching staff, which allowed UNO (18-28, 9-14 SBC) to score a season-high 19 runs a night before.
Ahmed Garcia improved to 3-1 on the season for the Owls, allowing just two runs - one earned - on six hits. Glen Troyanowski replaced Garcia for the final inning, pitching a perfect frame, striking out two.
William Block led the Owls with a 3-for-5 effort, which included three RBIs while David Wilson, Nick DelGuidice and Colby Gratton all contributed two hits apiece.
The Privateers collected two hits in the first inning, but would not get another base hit until
Blake Doty doubled to right center in the sixth. By that time, FAU had put four runs on the board to take a 4-0 lead.
DelGuidice was involved in the first two run-scoring innings during the UNO hitless stretch. The Owls' shortstop reached second base on a throwing error by UNO, before scoring on a Gratton single.
Two innings later, DelGuidice opened the fourth inning with a lead-off single to right. After reaching second, DelGuidice scored for the second time, coming across the plate on a Wilson single.
FAU tacked on two more runs in the fifth, ending the day for Privateer starter
Ricky Ott (1-2), who allowed four runs - three earned - on seven hits over 4.1 innings of work.
Doty scored after getting the hitless streak snapping double in the sixth. The UNO shortstop was 1 of 3 Privateers to reach base in the inning, eventually scoring on a
Nick Mitchell groundout.
The Owls added two more runs in the bottom half of the frame, putting together back-to-back singles after a pair of Privateer miscues in the field.
Nick Schwaner hit a home run for UNO in the seventh before FAU scored the final run of the day later that inning to bring to a close the game's scoring.
"We could not keep them off the scoreboard in the middle innings," said UNO head coach
Tom Walter. "They scored in the fifth, sixth and seventh and we just put up zeroes."
The two teams will conclude their series at 12 p.m. CT on Sunday.
