Florida Atlantic (24-11, 6-6 AAC) hosted Memphis (14-21, 3-9 AAC) in Paradise as the Owls were riding momentum into the series. After a dominant game one from FAU, Memphis took games two and three.
Game One
Game one of the series focused on the mound. The first run’s came across in the third when Memphis took a 1-0 lead. In the bottom half of the inning, FAU’s Jake Duer hit a RBI single scoring Brando Leroux.
The following inning, Florida Atlantic scored another run as Ayden Garcia grounded into a double-play. From there it was all Trey Beard and the bullpen.
Beard pitched 7 innings, allowed only one run, and struck out 11. MJ Bollinger and Carter Holjes held down the fort as the Owls claimed game one 2-1.
Game Two
Unlike game one, the bats were hot. In the first FAU and Memphis traded runs. The Tigers took the lead again in the third, but a Jake Millan 3 RBI home run put the Owls ahead 4-2 after three.
Like boxers in a ring, Memphis punched back dropping two runs of their own in the fourth and fifth innings. Memphis led 6-4 heading into the bottom of the fifth. There, Marshall Lipsey took advantage of a Memphis error and hit a three run shot of his own. This gave FAU a 7-6 lead.
The Tigers tied it up in the sixth. Florida Atlantic did not find another run the rest of the way. Memphis scored the go-ahead run in the ninth and won 8-7.
SP Tyler Murphy pitched 4.2 innings, allowing 5 ER, and struck out three.
Game Three
Memphis beat up on FAU’s SP James Litman in the first two innings. The Tigers owned a commanding 5-0 lead after the second inning. The Owls did not respond until the fourth when back-to-back two out RBI singles by Kyle Boylston and Brando Leroux plated three.
Sadly for FAU, the Memphis arms held the bats at bay as the Owls managed only one run for the remainder of the contest. The Tigers won 5-4.
James Litman pitched four innings, allowing five runs, and struck out eight. The eight strikeouts is a career high for Litman.
FAU forced Memphis into 22 consecutive outs during the contest as the bullpen did their job as well.
FAU Series Notables
As a team, FAU batted .311 compared to Memphis’ .210 clip. The offense was able to produce hits, but the Owls only managed two home runs in the series.
It also does not help when Florida Atlantic stranded a combined 25 runners on base during games two and three. The Owls could not find timely hits when it mattered.
While the team did not earn the series win, FAU did have some notable performances. Especially from the mound.
LHP Trey Beard’s start on Friday was a season high in strikeouts AAC play. He secured 11 in the Owls’ victory. The performance comes as a bounce back compared to his previous two starts. Previously, he had given up five runs to UTSA and four to ECU.
RHP MJ Bollinger also has been a bright spot in the bullpen. He earned his eighth save over the weekend, tying him for first in the American in that category. The Sophomore reliever had two appearances, pitching 3.1 innings, earning three Ks, and not allowing a hit in his outings.
On the offensive side of things, four batters hit over .300 that appeared in all four games. John Martinez and Brando Leroux both averaged .333 batting. Martinez secured four hits, while Leroux had just three. However, the senior infielder had an OB% of .455 and scored two off his bat.
Florida Atlantic still holds second in the AAC in batting. Their arms rank first in ERA. The series may not have gone the way of the Owls, but a lot to take away should help down the stretch.
Look Ahead
FAU will play their third and final game against the Miami Hurricanes (20-17, 6-9 ACC) on Tuesday, April 15th. The Owls and Hurricanes are tied with the upcoming game deciding the series.First pitch is scheduled for 6 PM.
