FIU Takes Two From the Bulls
April 16, 2009 | Baseball
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“You have to give (FIU) credit, they came out and played,” said head coach Lelo Prado. “We had trouble from the get go, we didn't come out very well but give FIU credit, they did what they had to do. We didn't show up.”
Freshman LHP Matt Reed (2-1) started the game on the mound for USF, allowing three hits and six earned runs through four innings of work while striking out one.
Daniel DeSimone started the game for FIU and earned the victory, throwing six innings while giving up seven hits, two earned runs and striking out three.
Redshirt freshman Todd Brazeal led the Bulls offensively in game two going 2-2 with an RBI while senior Trey Manz was 3-4 with a double and a pair of singles.
Tyler Townsend led the Panthers at the plate, going 2-4 with a pair of solo homeruns.
Game two began in similar fashion to Game One as the Panthers jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first. Tyler Townsend drew a two-out walk and scored on a 400-foot homerun by Steven Stropp.
The Bulls quickly cut the deficit in the bottom of the first as senior Mike Consolmagno bunted his way on to open the inning and stole second. Brazeal drove in the run with an RBI single to centerfield to make it 2-1.
The Panthers increased their hold over the home team, collecting four runs in the top of the fourth. FIU drew three consecutive walks with two outs in the inning, loading the bases before a hit batsman brought in a run. A three-RBI double to left field by Michael Vargas cleared the bases, putting the Panthers up, 6-1.
Brazeal, Manz and freshman Sam Mende helped USF cut into the FIU lead in the bottom of the fourth, as Brazeal led off the inning with a single up the middle and advanced to second on a one-out single by Manz. A base hit through the left side by Mende scored Brazeal, making it 6-2.
Salgueiro entered to relieve Reed in the top of the fifth, but the Panthers continued to build their lead as Townsend led off the inning with a homerun to make it 7-2, FIU. Salgueiro allowed six hits and three earned runs, striking out one in 2.1 innings.
USF scored again in the bottom of the fifth as Consolmango led off with a walk and reached second on an error by FIU third baseman Raiko Alfonso off a ball hit by senior Brandon Smith which saw Smith aboard safely at first. Brazeal recorded his second RBI of the game with a sacrifice fly to deep right center, scoring Consolmagno to make it 7-3.
The Panthers made another attempt to put the game out of reach in the top of the seventh, adding six insurance runs. The FIU rally started with one-out single by Ryan Mollica before a Manz throwing error on a Townsend bunt allowed both base runners to take an extra base. Three consecutive singles by Stropp, Alfonso and Mike Martinez each scored a runner, pushing the Panthers lead to seven, 10-3.
Kyle Eastham entered to relieve Salgueiro in the middle of the seventh, but the FIU rally continued as Reilly drew a walk to load the bases before Arrojo clocked a two-out three-RBI double down the left field line to make it 13-3. Eastham allowed two hits and one earned run while striking out a pair in 1.2 innings.
The home team would not go down without a fight, staging a rally in the bottom of the seventh with back-to-back doubles. Consolmagno led off the inning with a double to left field and scored on a sophomore Jonathan Koscso double to right center to make it 13-4. A single up the middle by Smith and a sacrifice fly by Brazeal brought Koscso home, 13-5, before the Panthers ended the USF rally, turning the double play off the bat of Manz.
Townsend sealed the deal for the Panthers in the top of the eighth, blasting his second homerun of the game well over the centerfield wall to make it 14-5 FIU.
Sophomore Doug Wagner closed out the game on the mound for the Bulls, allowing one hit while holding FIU scoreless and striking out one in one inning.
The Bulls hit the road heading to Pennsylvania for a three-game BIG EAST series with Villanova beginning on Friday, April 17 at 3:15 p.m.
