Richard Gibson / Sports Director
The FIU Baseball Team won two games of their first tripleheader of the season against the Illinois-Chicago Flames at home last Friday and Saturday.
FIU won game one by a dominant 9-4 margin, and game two went by a score of 4-3 in extra innings. Game three was contested, but UIC pulled away in the end to secure a 10-6 win.
The Panthers now hold a 2-1 season record, which is fourth best out of the six teams in the Eastern Division of Conference USA. FIU is currently trailing behind the Florida Atlantic Owls, Old Dominion Monarchs, and Charlotte 49ers.
This was the first ever contest between both FIU and UIC. The Flames record is now 1-2, but are still in second place in the Horizon League.
Game one for FIU was defined by their offensive performance in the first inning, scoring eight straight runs to secure the win for the Panthers as soon as the game began. It featured three single base hits from first baseman Adrian Figueroa, shortstop Dante Girardi, and catcher Ben Rozenblum that drove in five of their eight runs.
FIU outfielder Juan Teixeira singled in the fifth inning, bringing Rozenblum home to adding another run to the game. UIC would then score four runs, with two of them off of homers, but the Panthers’ pitcher Tyler Myrick ensured the Flames wouldn’t steal the game.
Game two was quiet until FIU opened up the scoreboard in the third inning. Girardi reached on a fielder’s choice, bringing home second baseman Derek Cartaya for a 1-0 lead. Girardi then singled in the fourth inning to increase the score 2-0, but three straight runs by UIC in the eighth inning gave them a late 3-2 advantage.
In the ninth inning, it took a double by FIU catcher Luis Chavez to tie the game at 3 each, sending it to extra innings. In the tenth inning, Rozenblum secured a walk, bringing in outfielder Mario Zabala to pinch run. After he stole second, Zabala advanced to third base off an error by the UIC catcher, then stole home base to call the game for FIU with a 4-3 win.
Game three was a highly contested affair between the two schools, with UIC scoring a run in the first inning, followed by FIU scoring twice in the next two innings. The Flames scored three runs in the fifth inning, but the Panthers responded with four runs in their next two innings, leading by a score of 6-4.
After scoring another run in the seventh inning, the Flames secured the game in the eighth inning, scoring five runs, including two singles, a double, and two advancements off of FIU errors on the shortstop, turning the game around with a 10-6 win.
The Panthers will stay at home for their next series against the Miami of Ohio RedHawks, beginning on Friday, February 26th at 7pm. The series will continue to Saturday, February 27th at 1pm, and finish on Sunday, February 28th at noon.
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