Monday March 12, 2003

Florida International pastes Chicago State 22-7
Box Score

The Golden Panther baseball team clobbered Chicago State 22-7 Wednesday night at University Park. Florida International was led offensively by sophomore infielder Dennis Diaz, who went 5-for-6 with three runs scored, three RBI, four doubles and a stolen base.

Florida International jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning thanks to a Cougar error, which scored freshman infielder Mike Lopez from second.

Then in the second inning after freshman infielder Luis Rivera walked, freshman outfielder Yahmed Yema hit a two-run home run to make the score 3-0.

Diaz doubled to right field to lead off the inning, and Lopez followed him by drawing a walk. After junior infielder Ricardo Nanita reached base on balls, freshman infielder Luis Rivera doubled up the middle to score Diaz and Lopez.

With FIU leading 5-0 in the top of the fourth, Chicago State got on the board, courtesy of a Derrick Bass RBI single.

But the Golden Panthers answered with eight runs in the bottom half to blow the game open. With runners on the corners, Diaz hit an RBI double to right center. After a wild pitch scored another FIU runner, an error brought home Diaz. Nanita then hit a sacrifice fly and Rivera singled up the middle to give FIU a 10-1 lead. From that point, Yema hit an RBI single to right field and freshman infielder Jimmy Bacon finished the onslaught with a two-run home run to left field.

Ahead 13-1, FIU scored again in the fifth on a Yema sacrifice fly.

The Cougars scored two runs in the sixth to cut the lead to 14-3, but FIU answered again with three runs in the bottom half. Junior outfielder Fernando Alvarez drew a walk with the bases loaded to start the scoring, and then freshman infielder David San Juan doubled down the right field line to score two more.

Down 17-3, Chicago State came back in the seventh with three more runs on two singles. They then added another run on a bases loaded walk in the eighth inning to make the score 17-7.

But the Golden Panthers kept pace in the eighth, scoring the final five runs of the ballgame. With the bases loaded, Bacon hit a bases-clearing double. Soon after, Diaz doubled to left center to score two more runs and give FIU a 22-7 victory.

In addition to Diaz, Rivera (2-for-2, three RBI), Yema (2-for-3, four RBI) and Bacon (2-for-5, five RBI) all came up big at the plate for FIU, while six Golden Panther pitchers combined to hurl 14 strikeouts. Freshman Edgar Ramirez (Miami, Southridge) struck out five batters in two innings of relief to close out the game. The Golden Panthers next face Rider Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m. at University Park.