Sunday, April 6, 2003

FIU rolls in rainy Murfreesboro, 12-0
Box Score

In just eight innings, the Florida International baseball team still hammered out a 12-0 win over Middle Tennessee State Sunday afternoon in Murfreesboro, Tenn. The game got off to a late start due to rain and ended after just eight innings due to a Sun Belt Conference 10-run mercy rule. Junior starter Arthur Santos earned his first win of the year and struck out 13 batters, a team season-high.

Freshman infielder Mike Lopez ignited the FIU offense early, singling in the top of the first. After that, freshman infielder Jimmy Bacon and junior outfielder Ricardo Nanita hit back-to-back doubles to give the Golden Panthers a 2-0 lead. Freshman outfielder Yahmed Yema then hit a double of his own to score Nanita. After junior outfielder Fernando Alvarez got hit by a pitch, senior catcher Michael New hit a triple to right field, clearing the bases and giving FIU a 5-0 lead.

Nanita (3-for-4, four RBI) earned another RBI in the second inning, doubling in Lopez, who had reached base on a fielding error.

In the third, Yema came into score on a wild pitch, pushing the Golden Panthers ahead 7-0. Yema singled earlier in the inning, stole second and finally advanced to third on a flyout.

FIU added to its lead for the third consecutive innings in the fourth. Lopez singled and then reached second base on a wild pitch. After that, senior infielder Skip Adams doubled to make the score 8-0.

From there, the game developed into a pitcher’s duel between FIU junior starter Arthur Santos and MTSU relief pitcher Chris Mobley. Santos pitched all eight innings and finished with 13 strikeouts, two walks and no runs allowed while Mobley struck out eight and gave up just one run in five innings.

The Golden Panthers tacked on four more runs in the eighth inning off another reliever to conclude the scoring. Rivera started the inning by singling to right field. Lopez walked and both runners advanced on a wild pitch. Nanita scored Rivera on a foul out and Adams then followed by singling. A throwing error advanced him to second and scored Lopez. Yema then tripled to right field for another RBI, and finished the scoring onslaught by reaching home on a wild pitch.

The Golden Panthers (27-10, 6-3 Sun Belt) next travel to Daytona to take on Bethune-Cookman Wednesday and Thursday before hosting Miami on April 16th.