Baseball: Timely hits ket conference opener against Troy

By: Joel Delgado / Asst Sports Director
The Golden Panthers (13-6, 2-0 SBC) picked up close victories against conference rival Troy (7-10, 1-4 SBC) to open up conference play, including a comeback victory on Saturday.

#FIU 7, TROY 6#

It was a race to the finish as the Golden Panthers and the Trojans exchanged the lead numerous times throughout the middle game of their three-game series on March 20.
FIU managed to come out on top with a late-inning spurt to keep the Golden Panthers undefeated in conference play going into the series finale on March 21.
Corey Polizzano started on the mound for FIU and Troy countered with starter Tyler Ray and both were locked in a metaphorical staring match, cruising through their first three innings on the mound.
Polizzano blinked first in the fourth, giving up three runs after loading the bases with nobody out.
“He threw very well,” FIU head coach Turtle Thomas said. “He always seems to have that one inning that gets him. And if he can limit the number of runs he gives up in that one inning, he would be better served by that.”
The Panthers would answer in the bottom half of the inning, when Rudy Flores hit a sacrifice fly deep to center field to drive in Mike Martinez from third base to cut into the deficit.
Raiko Alfonso, coming in to pinch hit for FIU, tripled deep into left-center field in the sixth inning to drive in the tying runs and the Panthers would take a 5-3 lead after tagging on two more runs shortly thereafter.
The lead was short lived as Chad Watson slapped the first pitch of the seventh inning from Polizzano over the right field wall and the Trojans rallied to tie the game but nothing more as the senior lefthander managed to escape any further damage.
Polizzano earned a no-decision in seven innings of work with five strikeouts and giving up five runs, four of which were earned.
“I felt good, but I just made some dumb mistakes,” Polizzano said of his performance.
Troy took the lead with another home run in the eighth but could not hang on as the Panthers took the lead on sacrifice flies from Mike Martinez and Garrett Wittels.
Eric Berkowitz set the Trojans down in order to secure his second save of the season and the Panthers’ fourth consecutive victory.

#FIU 4, TROY 2#

Both teams meeting at FIU Baseball Stadium were known for their potent offenses and for putting up runs on the scoreboard.
But no one would have guessed after what became a chess match between the pitching staffs for FIU and Troy.
The Golden Panthers were able to come out of it with a 4-2 victory over the visiting Troy Trojans in their first Sun Belt Conference matchup of the season on March 19.
“Troy is an extremely well-coached team,” Coach Turtle Thomas said. “Every game we have against them seems like it’s a one or two run tight ball game every single time. We’re two very equal clubs, it seems to me.”
After Jabari Henry got things going for FIU with a single to left field, Jeremy Patton hit a high fly ball that floated over the left field wall for a two-run homerun to put the Golden Panthers on the board in the first inning.
“You want to start good and you want to end good,” Patton said. “We started good tonight and we need to carry that into tomorrow.”
But the Trojans struck right back when T.J Rivera stroked a hanging breaking ball from Scott Rembisz with two outs to tie the game at 2-2.
Garrett Wittels gave the Golden Panthers the lead in the third inning with an RBI single over third baseman Chase Whitley to drive in the go-ahead run.
It was a pitching duel from there on out as Rembisz and Trojan ace Andrew Dickinson were going back and forth until the seventh inning, when Dickinson ran into trouble and was pulled from the game.
With two outs and the bases loaded, a passed ball allowed Jabari Henry to score from third base to add an insurance run for FIU.
Rembisz turned in a strong performance for the Golden Panthers, striking out 10 Trojan batters while walking only three in 6 1/3 innings on the mound to earn his third victory of the year, improving his record to 3-2.
“He threw a good ball game,” Thomas said. “That’s Scott Rembisz right there.”
Eric Berkowitz came in to relieve the senior right-hander and ran into trouble in the eighth, putting the tying run on second base with one out.
Berkowitz got out the jam, however, striking out two straight batters to end the inning and then shut the door in the ninth to earn his first save of the season.