BOCA RATON, Fla. (5/11/08) ? After a one hour and 15 minute rain delay and a back-and-forth slugfest, the Arkansas State Indians and the Florida Atlantic Owls ended their Sun Belt Conference series finale tied at 11 after six innings.
Play was halted following the fifth inning when heavy rain moved into the area. The game was called after the sixth inning, allowing the Tribe to make their scheduled flight home.
The Owls got things started early, scoring three in the bottom of the first. Nick Arata and Jeremy Griffiths led off the inning with singles and then scored on Mike McKenna's three-run home run.
The Indians answered with two runs in the top of the second. Freshman Murray Watts singled and scored on redshirt freshman Danny Riemenschneider's RBI single to right. Junior Jett Jones walked and scored on junior Lawson Hipps' single to make it a 3-2 ballgame.
The Tribe added another run in the top of the third, when junior Derrick Coleman scored on a single up the middle by Watts.
FAU took a 5-3 lead in the bottom of the inning after Tom Hatcher launched a two-run shot over the left-field wall.
Arkansas State went up 6-5 in the top of the fourth. Riemenschneider, Hipps and freshman Todd Baumgartner singled to get the inning started. Riemenschneider scored on a throwing error on Baumgartner's single. Hipps tied the game at five after Coleman's RBI groundout. Baumgartner came around to give the Tribe a one-run lead on a sacrifice fly by junior Brandon Eller.
Jones' solo home run in the top of the fifth put the Tribe up 7-5, but the Owls managed to tie the game in the bottom of the inning. McKenna and Travis Ozga singled and eventually scored on Alex Silversmith's two-run single.
After the one hour and 15 minute rain delay, the Tribe tacked on four runs in the sixth. Hipps broke the 7-7 tie, after he singled and scored on a wild pitch. The bases were loaded after Coleman walked, Eller singled and senior Ryan Hudgins was intentionally walked. Freshman Drew Benes came in to pinch hit for Watts and crushed a double down the left-field line, scoring Coleman, Eller and Hudgins and giving the Tribe an 11-7 lead.
The Owls had two runners on before Griffiths grounded into a 6-4-3 double play. David Wilson walked and scored on McKenna's single through the left side to cut the Tribe lead to three. Ozga walked to put two runners on for William Block who put a three-run shot over the left-field wall to tie the game at 11.
Junior Jacob Maggard got the start on the mound for the Tribe, giving up seven runs on 10 hits in 4.2 innings of work.
Hipps went 3-for-3 with two runs scored and an RBI for the Indians, while Riemenschneider was 3-for-4 with an RBI and one run scored. Elller and Watts each notched two hits, while Baumgartner, Coleman, Benes and Jones had one hit each.
McKenna led the FAU offense, going 4-for-4 with three runs scored and four RBIs. Mickey Storey started for the Owls, allowing seven runs on 10 hits in five innings.
The Tribe moves to 19-31-1 overall and 8-18-1 in Sun Belt action. FAU sits at 27-23-1 and 13-11-1 in conference play.
The Indians travel to Murray State on Tuesday for their final non-conference game of the season. First pitch is set for 2 p.m.
