Saturday, February 15, 2003

Baseball twins double-team Siena, FIU wins 8-1
Box Score

Photo by Geoff Anderson Senior Outfielder Solomon Frieder went 2-for-4 with two doubles, two RBI and a run scored Saturday against Siena. "We swung the bats well today," Frieder said.

The Florida International baseball team downed Siena for the second time in two days Saturday afternoon at University Park. The 8-1 win was keyed by the performance of FIU’s junior twins, catcher Mario Monreal and left-handed pitcher Manuel Monreal.

In his first start of the season, Manuel Monreal hurled six innings, allowing three hits, three walks, and no runs to earn the victory. Mario Monreal knocked in two runners in his second start of the year, going 1-for-3 with a run scored. Oddly, he earned his two RBI by getting hit by pitches with the bases loaded on two separate occasions.

Senior outfielder Adam Summerell got the Golden Panthers off to a good start, getting hit by a pitch and advancing to third on a Fernando Alvarez single to right center. Alvarez, a junior outfielder from Miami, followed up his hit by stealing second. At that point, senior outfielder Solomon Frieder doubled to left center, scoring both players. After freshman infielder Luis Rivera walked, Frieder stole third, and then freshman outfielder Yahmed Yema singled to right field to bring Frieder home.

FIU added to its lead in the sixth inning. With two outs, freshman infielder James Bacon drew a walk, and Mario Monreal followed with a single through the left field side, advancing Bacon to second. Sophomore infielder Dennis Diaz singled to center to score Bacon, and then Diaz and Monreal executed a double steal. With runners on second and third, freshman infielder Bryan Pullin walked. Summerell followed that up with a bases loaded walk to score Monreal.

Frieder led off the bottom half of the seventh inning with another double to left center. Freshman infielder David San Juan then bunted and reached first, advancing Frieder to third. The next batter, Yema got hit by a pitch, and Bacon followed by reaching on a fielder’s choice. Frieder was forced out at home, but on the next play, Mario Monreal also got plunked, giving a run to San Juan. Diaz then reached first on a bunt, and Yema scored due to a throwing error by the pitcher.

Siena avoided a shutout in the eighth inning, getting a run from Blake Hanan. Hanan singled and advanced to second on a throwing error. He then advanced to third on a groundout, and reached home on another groundout.

FIU quickly responded in the eighth inning with the final run of the afternoon. Freshman outfielder Brian Aragon singled, and then San Juan and Bacon drew walks, loading the bases. Mario Monreal scored Aragon, getting hit by a pitch for the second time of the afternoon.

Florida International next takes on Siena Sunday afternoon at University Park. Game time is set for 12:00 p.m. The game will be broadcast on Radiate 88, FIU's student radio station, and on Spanish Radio WRHC 1550 AM. The student broadcast can be heard on 88.1 FM in Miami or on the Internet at http://wrgp.fiu.edu/sports.