JONESBORO, Ark. (05/08/09) ? The Florida Atlantic Owls (26-21, 9-15)
erased a 5-3 Arkansas State advantage with six runs in the sixth inning and
went on to defeat the Red Wolves (19-28, 9-16) Friday night in the Sun Belt
Conference series opener between the two teams at Tomlinson Stadium and Kell
Field.
Arkansas State trailed 3-0 after one inning, but fought back to go
up 5-3 with three runs in third, one in the fourth and one in the fifth, only
to see FAU take the lead for good with six runs in the sixth. After a base hit by ASU third baseman Guy
Brown in the bottom of the sixth, FAU reliever Mike Gipson (3-5) retired the
final 10 Red Wolves he faced to get the win.
“I've got to credit our guys for coming back early when we were
down 3-0,” said ASU Head Coach Tommy Raffo.
“Maybe there was a moment where we could have gotten in another run in
the fifth, and we wanted to fight and get a zero up on the board for them in
the sixth, but it just didn't happen.”
FAU took its 3-0 lead in the first on an RBI double from
designated hitter Tom Hatcher and a two-run home run from catcher Nick
Criaris. Run-scoring hits from Brown and
center fielder Todd Baumgartner put two runs on the board for ASU in the third,
and Brown scored on a wild pitch later in the inning to tie the game at
3-3.
An RBI single from catcher Kyle DeGrace in the fourth put ASU on
top 4-3, and the Red Wolves added a run in the fifth when right fielder Derrick
Coleman singled to make it 5-3, ASU.
The Owls used a two-run triple from Hatcher in the sixth to tie
the game and jump-start the FAU rally, then added four more runs in the frame
to take the lead for good at 9-5.
Brown went 2-for-5 with an RBI to lead ASU at the plate, while FAU
was led by Criaris who went 2-for-3 and drove in two runs.
Senior Chase Ware took the loss on the mound for ASU, giving up seven
runs on eight hits, with four strikeouts and a walk in five and one-thirds
innings of work. Gipson worked four and
two-thirds innings to get the win for FAU.
Gipson gave up two hits, struck out two and walked one.
The Red Wolves and Owls will resume the series Saturday at 2:00
p.m.
