Friday, April 4, 2003

Florida International earns 11-7 victory over MTSU
Box Score

The Florida International University baseball team defeated Middle Tennessee State 11-7 Friday night in the opener of a three-game series in Murfreesboro, Tenn. Junior right-hander Josh Banks (seven and a third innings pitched, nine strikeouts) got his sixth win of the year and freshman outfielder Yahmed Yema (2-for-2, two RBI, three runs scored) hit two home runs in the victory.

The Golden Panthers scored quickly, thanks to freshman infielder Bryan Pullin’s RBI single in the top of the first. The play was preceded by freshman infielder Luis Rivera’s lead-off single (which extended his hitting streak to 17 straight games) and freshman infielder Mike Lopez getting hit by a pitch. After Pullin’s hit, junior outfielder Ricardo Nanita hit a sacrifice fly to score Lopez and give FIU a 2-0 lead.

They added another run in the third inning, thanks in part to Rivera again. Rivera (3-for-5, three runs scored) led the inning off with a double down the left field line, and back-to-back groundouts got him home. Pullin (2-for-4, three RBI) was credited with his second RBI.

The Blue Raiders got on the board in the bottom half. Chuck Akers walked with two outs and then Brett Carroll hit knocked him home with double to the right field gap.

FIU answered in the top of the fourth. Senior infielder Skip Adams launched a home run to deep left center for the score.

MTSU once again came back with a run of their own in the bottom of the stanza, this time on a Troy Harp RBI single to center field.

The Golden Panthers kept the runs coming in the fifth, scoring four more to go up 8-2. Rivera started things with his third lead-off single of the game and advanced to third base on a throwing error by the pitcher. Pullin then singled up the middle to drive him home. Following Pullin in the order, Nanita (2-for-4, two RBI) doubled to center field to score Pullin. After Yema walked, senior catcher Michael New doubled for the final two runs of the inning.

FIU added to its lead in the sixth inning, scoring on a sacrifice fly from Lopez. The play scored freshman infielder David San Juan, who had reached third base on a double and a wild pitch.

Yema then gave the Golden Panthers another insurance run in the seventh with a home run down the right field line to boost their lead to 10-2.

The Blue Raiders rallied with four runs in the bottom of the eighth inning, on the strength of three home runs. Josh Archer homered to lead the innings off, Nate Jaggers followed with a two-run blast, and Shane Kemp finished with a home run of his own to draw MTSU to within 10-6.

Yema then hit his second home run of the game in the top of the ninth, giving FIU an 11-6 lead.

MTSU’s Archer answered with his second home run of the evening in the bottom of the inning, before freshman reliever Edgar Ramirez finished the game with a strikeout.

The Golden Panthers take on the Blue Raiders in the second game of the series tomorrow afternoon at 1:00 p.m. Eastern.