BOCA RATON, Fla. \u00a0\u2013\u00a0 Florida Atlantic baseball (19-20, 6-9) was denied a sweep over Tulane (21-20, 7-8) on Sunday, falling 12-4 in the series finale.<\/p>\n
THE BEGINNING
\nTulane scored first for the first time in the series, taking a 1-0 lead on a solo home run in the opening inning. \u00a0They added a two-RBI double in the third and another home run in the fourth to push the lead to 4-0.<\/p>\n
The Owls chipped away with a\u00a0Kyle Boylston<\/a>\u00a0RBI single in the fourth. In the sixth, with\u00a0John Martinez<\/a>\u00a0on first and two outs,\u00a0Brando Leroux<\/a>\u00a0dropped a bloop single to shallow right field. As Martinez slid into third, the ball went through the legs of the Tulane third baseman, allowing Martinez to trot home to make it 6-2.<\/p>\n THE TURNING POINT A Tulane throwing error sparked the rally. Ward doubled down the left field line to put runners on second and third with one out. Leroux’s slow roller on the infield went under the glove of the third baseman and off the foot of the shortstop. Two runs scored on the play, and the Owls were within two.<\/p>\n TJ Gramesty<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Marshall Lipsey<\/a>\u00a0drew back-to-back walks to load the bases with one out before Boylston’s\u00a0high chopper to the shortstop was turned for a double play. Tulane escaped the inning with a 6-4 lead still intact.<\/p>\n THE FINISH QUOTABLE\u00a0 THE BATS<\/p>\n
\nAfter starting pitcher\u00a0Garrett Grant<\/a>\u00a0departed in the fifth inning, relievers\u00a0Reilly Witmer<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Tyler Murphy<\/a>\u00a0held the Green Wave in check. The pair combined to allow one run on one hit in 3.2 innings. That set up the FAU offense for a chance to come back in the eighth inning.<\/p>\n
\nTulane proceeded to break the game open in the top of the ninth. A leadoff walk, two stolen bases, a throwing error, and a wild pitch led to the first run of the frame. Four straight hits, the last of which was a three-run triple, resulted in another four runs on the board. Freshman\u00a0Brody Juntunen<\/a>, the Owls’ fourth pitcher of the inning, finally ended the frame by retiring three of the four batters he faced. When the dust settled, the Green Wave led 12-4, and they would hold on after an uneventful bottom of the ninth.<\/p>\n
\nHead Coach\u00a0John McCormack<\/a>
\n“We wanted to give ourselves an opportunity today, and we did that. We pitched well in the sixth, seventh, and eighth innings. In our half of the eighth, bases loaded, one out, credit to Tulane. They made a nice play to turn two.”<\/p>\n