Miami, Fla. (March 17, 2006)- FIU batted around a season-high three times, scored nine times in the sixth and added five in the fifth and eighth en route to a 19-4 rout of Manhattan on Friday night at University Park.
The Golden Panthers pounded out a season-high 19 hits against four Jasper pitchers as 10 different FIU batters recorded a hit in the win. The win is the Golden Panthers' 16th in their last 18 home contests to raise their overall record to 16-9. The Jaspers drop their second-straight game and fall to 5-6 on the season. With the offensive explosion, FIU starter Walker Whitley overcame a rough start and settled down, scattering nine hits, allowing four runs (all earned) and struck out nine to raise his record to 4-2.
Trailing by 4-0 in the bottom of the fifth, FIU sent 10 batters to the plate and scored five unanswered runs to ignite the Golden Panthers' attack. Back-to-back one out singles by Alex Alfonso and Bryan Pullin set the stage for Michael Lopez. The single by Pullin extended his hitting streak to 30 games; however, the big blow was a three-run home run by Michael Lopez for his fifth roundtripper of the season. Next, James McOwen continued the inning with a bunt single. After a wild pitch moved McOwen into scoring position, Luis Bautista singled up the middle to score McOwen. After a fly out, the Golden Panthers continued the inning when Corey Lozano singled up the middle to put runners on first and second that marked the end of the day for Darcy. Reliever
Jeremy Shaw was greeted by Chris Dunn with a single up the middle, scoring Bautista for the fifth run of the inning.
The offensive fireworks continued for the Golden Panthers in the sixth, scoring a season-high nine runs on five singles and batting around for the second-straight inning. FIU also capitalized on a bases loaded walk and a hit-by-pitch to blow the contest wide open.
The explosion continued in the eighth inning as it was the FIU bench who sparked the attack. After Chris Rey was hit by a pitch, Kurt Crowell and Michael Clayton singled to load the bases for Yosvel Barroso, who was hit by a pitch to score Rey. Next, Nick Cadena hit a grand slam over the left-field wall. The single for Clayton was his first collegiate hit as a Golden Panther.
In relief of Whitley, Chris Siebenaler pitched the final two innings for the Golden Panthers and struck out four to close out the contest.
The two teams will play again in a 1 p.m. matinee on Saturday at University Park.
