Post by FIUVoice on Feb 23, 2007 23:16:07 GMT -5
MIAMI (www.fiusports.com) – Florida International took advantage of seven Rhode Island errors and held off a stubborn Ram offense in a 15-10 series-opening win Friday night at University Park. The Golden Panthers (5-4) won their fourth straight and scored in double-digits for the third consecutive game. It was the season opener for the Rams (0-1).
A 1-1 game turned into an apparent FIU rout in the third inning, thanks in large part to five Rhode Island errors that were parlayed into 10 Golden Panther runs in the inning. Nothing went right for Rhode Island and FIU took advantage of the fact. Perhaps the biggest play of the inning was a bases-loaded foul ball that was dropped by first baseman Ryan Cunningham. It would have been the second out of the inning, if not for a previous error at shortstop. John Petika was hit on the next play to drive in Jamie McOwen and give FIU a 2-1 lead.
A deluge followed, with the next eight Golden Panthers getting a hit, scoring or driving in a run. Cody Jacobs hit a two-run double, Chris Dunn hit a sac fly, Bryan Pullin had an RBI single, as did Luis Bautista. FIU chased starter Brett Palanski and ended the inning with an 11-1 lead.
URI fought back with a six-run fourth and scattered three more runs throughout the game, but FIU kept the Rams at arm’s length to hold on for the win.
James Lajiness (2-0) pitched a career-high 4.0 innings of relief to earn his second win of the season. FIU starter Corey Polizzano lasted 3.2 innings and gave up five earned runs on nine hits with five strikeouts in the no-decision. Palanski (0-1) was charged with the loss and allowed eight earned runs in 2.1 innings.
Pullin homered, singled and drove in three runs and Bautista finished 3-for-6 with two runs scored and two RBI to lead FIU. Scott Brown, Cunningham, Gregg Allen and Eric Larson each had three hits to pace the Rams, who out-hit FIU 17-14.
Rhode Island didn’t look like a team playing its season opener early, taking a 1-0 lead in the first on a balk by Polizzano. Mike O’Malley and Scott Brown hit back-to-back one-out singles to put runners at the corners and set up the game’s first run.
FIU evened the score in the second, taking advantage of a Rhode Island error. Petika reached on an error with one out and moved to third on Corey Lozano’s single to right field. Junior Arrojo hit a line-drive single off Palanski’s glove two batters later to drive in Petika and put the game at 1-1.
The four-game series continues with a Saturday doubleheader, beginning at 1 p.m.
Notes: McOwen extended his hitting streak to nine games with a double to right in the third inning... Pullin moved into third place past Brad Eldred (300) and Dennis Diaz (303) on the all-time total bases list with 304 after hitting a home run and single Friday night...Friday night marked the first time FIU had scored 14 runs or more in three consecutive games since the 2002 season.
Courtesy of www.fiusports.com
What a ball game....it was fun to annouce this one and a quote from Danny Price "The FIU Posse" aka the football players that were in attendance rocked tonight....
