Patrick Chalvire/staff writer
The Panthers started their spring break weekend with a three-game series versus No. 19 Rice, a team the Panthers had never beat entering the series.
Game one on March 8 saw junior left-hander Tyler Alexander on the mound taking over starting duties for an injured Mike Ellis. Alexander pitched 6 1/3 innings, allowed four runs and struck out 10 batters.
Unfortunately, the bats were quiet at FIU stadium and the Owls’ righty Austin Kubitza held the Panthers in check to only two runs while pitching 6 1/3 innings. He also struck out 11 panthers. Both T.J Shantz and Zach Sweety scored for FIU but they would eventually fall to Rice 7-2.
“I was pitching my butt off out there,” Alexander said. “We just didn’t come out on top.”
Game two showed some more life in the Panthers’ bats as catcher Aramis Garcia helped spark a rally in the bottom of the ninth inning after being down 3-1. Garcia, who went 3 for 4 with three RBI in the game, knocked a two-run single to right center which tied the game at 3 apiece and pushed the game into extras.
“Its all about team effort, one person doesn’t win a game,” Garcia said. “I was just trying to do my part and see my pitch, I knew my teammates were going to pick me up.”
In the 10th inning, the Owls scored three times to take a 6-3 lead. With two outs and the pressure on the Panthers, FIU scored two runs courtesy of an RBI single from Sweety and an RBI double by Roche Woodard.
The rally stopped there though as Owls closer Zech Lemond stopped the attack and forced T.J Shantz to ground out to finish the game. Though the Panthers lost 6-5, but Head Coach Turtle Thomas saw some positives in the game.
“I thought our guys battled their butt off in the ninth and 10th inning,” Thomas said. “That’s one of the best closers in the country and we swung the bat well and took some good cuts.”
The series finale brought a new time change and a new life in both the pitching and hitting for FIU. The Panthers brought the lumber with 13 hits and 11 runs to reach an 8-8 overall record, dropping the Owls to 9-7.
FIU scored early and often, with the 11 runs all coming in the first four innings. Aramis Garcia continued where he left off the night before going 3 for 4, including 5 RBIs.
Garcia’s showing at the plate only helped to bring out the rest of the team as every Panther recorded at least one hit except for Shantz. Shantz instead came up with what may be the top play of the year for the Panthers after robbing Rice’s Keenan Cook of a homerun.
Shantz brought out his inner Spiderman as he scaled the right field wall and brought back the hit. Shantz wouldn’t stop there as he then launched a dart to second base to record a double play as the Owls Connor Teykl left the bag prematurely.
“Beginners luck?” Shantz jokingly replied after describing his thievery. “It was one of those plays you always dream about and thankfully it came true today.”
Mike Franco, who is currently on a pitch limit due to his recovery from Tommy John surgery, started the game going three innings. Freshman Alex Seibold came in and improved from his previous outing against Stetson throwing three shutout innings. Charlie Cormier and Mitchell Davis closed out the last 2 1/3 innings for the Panthers after first allowing five runs combined during their span.
“If there’s one thing this team does really well is we never back off. We’re always going to fight until the last inning, last pitch,” Garcia said.
