BOCA RATON, Fla. – Aaron Orozco hit a missile the other way for his first collegiate home run in a 9-4 loss for Charlotte Baseball in the middle game of its series at Florida Atlantic on Saturday afternoon (April 25).
 
Orozco’s homer was one of five hits in the game for the Niners (19-23, 4-13 American) and capped off a four-run fifth inning to tie the game in the only frame the Green and White found the board in. The four-run fifth was part of a strong middle-inning stretch for the 49ers while FAU (21-21, 8-9 American) won the first and final thirds, outscoring the Niners 6-0 in innings 1-3 and 7-9.
 
The home run by Orozco was the only extra-base hit in the game for the Niners as Adrian Jimenez, Cody Gunderson, Dylan Koontz, and Robert Nedry all had singles for Charlotte’s other four hits. Gunderson kept his hitting streak alive at seven consecutive games, with a 13-game on-base streak, while Jimenez pushed his on-base streak to seven.
 
Jaden Winter started the game and gave way to Chase Carson in the first. Carson threw 4.2 innings and was hit with the loss, striking out three batters in his outing. Drew Munn fanned one batter in 1.2 frames while Wesley Jones pitched a scoreless eighth with only one runner reaching from a walk.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
Florida Atlantic opened the scoring with a run in the second and then added three more in the third while sitting the Niners down in order the first time through the lineup.
 
Charlotte’s bats came alive in the middle innings, putting a four-spot on the board in the fifth to tie the game. Cale Stricklin drew a walk – the second baserunner of the game for the 49ers after a walk taken by Todd Hudson in the fourth. A single from Koontz moved Stricklin into scoring position, allowing him to score on a single from Nedry. Orozco was the next batter up and hit a laser line drive over the wall in right field to tie the game on his first collegiate home run.
 
It stayed tied until the home half of the sixth when the Owls plated three runs to jump back in front.
 
Charlotte had a pair on in the seventh but couldn’t get a runner to third and only managed one runner on a walk in the ninth after FAU extended its lead with a solo home run.
 
UP NEXT
The two sides finish out the series on Sunday (April 26) at noon.