No. 20 FIU hands No. 21 Ohio State 7-6 loss

Tueday, March 24, 2002

No. 20 FIU hands No. 21 Ohio State 7-6 loss

o. 20 FIU (24-5) defeated No. 21 Ohio State (12-4-1) 7-6 in Homestead, FL. Brad Eldred and Tommy Duenas each went 2-4 with a home run and two RBI. It was Eldred's 14th of the year and Duenas' sixth while Skip Adams hit his fifth in five games to lead the Golden Panthers to their fifth win of the year against top 25 teams. FIU starter Carlos Sanchez pitched 4.1 innings for the no-decision while Derek Taylor earned the win pitching 2.2 innings allowing no earned runs. Luis Gazitua pitched the final two innings to earn his fourth save of the year.

In the second the Golden Panthers hit four consecutive singles to lead off the inning including Alex Suarez, who extended his hitting streak to 13 games. Adams hit a RBI single to left field scoring Eldred. Daniel Bustamante scored the second run when the Buckeye's shortstop Brett Garrard committed an error. Alex Ansoleaga knocked in Duenas on a sacrifice fly to give FIU the 3-0 lead.

Ohio State rallied with four runs in the fourth to take the lead. Doug Deeds singled and scored on a wild pitch, one of Sanchez' three in the inning. Christian Snavely scored Nick Swisher on a sacrifice fly and Terry Pettorini hit a RBI double scoring Joe Wilkins to tie the score. The Buckeyes took the lead on Doug Dendinger's RBI double bringing in Pettorini.

In the fourth FIU tied the score on Adams solo home run, it was his fifth in five games.

The Buckeyes once again took the lead in the fifth as Deeds doubled and scored on another wild pitch by Sanchez. Sanchez was replaced by Derek Taylor.

In the bottom of the sixth, the Golden Panthers took the lead on a two-run home run by Duenas to give FIU the 6-5 lead.

Eldred hit his 14th home run of the year, a solo shot in the bottom of the eighth.

Ohio State rallied in the ninth as Joe Wilkins hit a RBI single scoring Drew Anderson to close the lead to 7-6 but Gazitua struck out Snavely to end the game.

FIU will return to action tomorrow night as they face Lafayette at University Park at 7:00pm.