Florida Atlantic University’s baseball team lost to the University of Miami 11-7 on Wednesday after leading for most of the game. The Owls, now with a 3-5 record, faced an undefeated Miami team that improved to 10-0.
Miami took an early lead, scoring three runs in the first three innings. Florida Atlantic narrowed the gap in the fourth inning after a dropped pop-up by Miami’s Derek Williams allowed two runs to score. In the fifth inning, Marshall Lipsey doubled and was driven home by Eli Small’s first hit as an Owl, tying the game.
Starting pitcher Kide Adetuyi struck out ten batters over five innings while giving up two earned runs and two walks.
Miami regained a narrow lead in the seventh inning, but Florida Atlantic answered back. Brett Patten drove in Lipsey with a single, and Xavier Moronta reached base on an error that brought home another run, putting FAU ahead. The Owls added more runs in the eighth with Patrick Ward’s RBI single and John Martinez scoring on a wild pitch.
However, closer Bryan Boully could not secure the win in the ninth inning. After retiring one batter, he gave up a walk followed by Daniel Cuvet’s two-run home run. More walks and hits allowed Miami to take an 8-7 lead before Jake Ogden’s bases-clearing double extended it to 11-7.
In their final chance at bat, Florida Atlantic loaded the bases but could not score again as Lipsey grounded into a fielder’s choice.
Head Coach John McCormack commented: “If you play baseball long enough, this type of thing eventually happens. It’s a tough night. We played our butts off for eight innings. Kide [Adetuyi] was good; relief pitching was good. It’s a shame that it fell on Boully like that, but it’s part of baseball. Just have to move on.”
Offensively, Kyle Boylston had three singles and scored once. Lipsey contributed two doubles among his hits while Patten collected his first RBI of the season as part of FAU’s season-high twelve hits.
On the mound, Adetuyi struck out all three batters in an inning twice during his outing. Carson Kimball pitched into the seventh before Kyzer Smith took over for nearly two clean innings leading up to the ninth.
The Owls are scheduled to play Villanova next in a three-game series starting Friday at 6:35 p.m.
