Saturday, February 22, 2003

Florida International falls 8-6 in second game of Bethune-Cookman series
Box Score

Photo by Geoff Anderson Junior pitcher Manuel Monreal hurled six innings for the Golden Panthers Saturday, stirking out seven in the 8-6 FIU loss.

Florida International couldn’t overcome another ninth-inning deficit, losing to Bethune-Cookman, 8-6, Saturday afternoon at University Park. The two-run game was hotly contested, as it nearly saw a second brawl in two days break out in the eighth inning. Instead, both teams were reigned in, and the game ended in a Wildcat win.

Bethune-Cookman jumped out to an early lead for the second straight contest, scoring three runs in the top of the third. Wildcat catcher Jon Lee started the scoring by walking and then scoring on a throwing error. John Gragg doubled to center to score a run and then Torres singled to right field, knocking in Gragg.

Senior catcher Michael New started the scoring for FIU in the bottom half, launching a home run, his first of the season, to cut the lead to 3-1.

The Golden Panthers shaved the lead further in the fourth inning, with freshman infielder Michael Lopez doubling to center, advancing to third on a groundout, and scoring on a Brian Aragon single.

Wildcat Jahsan Page issued three consecutive walks in the fifth and FIU grabbed the lead when freshman infielder Luis Rivera doubled to left center to bring home senior infielder Skip Adams and Lopez.

In the sixth inning, Florida International added a run thanks to senior outfielder Adam Summerell, who hit an RBI single down the right field line, and the Golden Panthers advanced to the seventh inning with a 5-3 lead.

The Wildcats recaptured the lead quickly, scoring four runs in the next inning to take a 7-5 lead. With runners on second and third, Lee doubled down the right field line, scoring both. Carlos Garcia knocked in Lee with a single to right, and Garcia scored on a throwing error two batters latter.

BCC added to its lead with a Johnny Lopez homer in the eighth inning, and Florida International scored its final run in the bottom half on an error to cut the final margin to 8-6. On FIU’s scoring play, Lee tried to catch Rivera at first, but threw it away to bring home senior outfielder Solomon Frieder. In the ninth, freshman outfielder Yahmed Yema pinch hit a single, but the next three batters were retired and the game ended.

The game saw another solid pitching performance from junior lefthander Manuel Monreal. Monreal pitched six innings, giving up four hits, two earned runs, one walk and striking out seven. Junior Arthur Santos, who lasted one and a third innings, was credited with the loss, his second of the year, and FIU’s first home loss of the season.

The Golden Panthers and Wildcats conclude their series Sunday at 1:00 p.m. at University Park. The game will be broadcast on Radiate 88, FIU’s student radio station. The student broadcast can be heard on 88.1 FM in Miami or on the Internet at http://wrgp.fiu.edu/sports.