Friday, May 17, 2002

DeCarlo stays undefeated with 5-3 conference win over Middle Tennessee

Freshman RHP Derek DeCarlo

reshman right-hander Derek DeCarlo (Miami/Southridge) won for the 11th straight time this season and remained one of only three Division I undefeated pitchers as the Golden Panthers took an all-important Sun Belt Conference game from Middle Tennessee (26-26, 8-14 SBC), 5-3, Friday night at University Park.

Despite sporting a 37-16 overall record, FIU is only 11-11 in conference play with two games left this weekend against the Blue Raiders. The Golden Panthers must be at least .500 against league opponents in order to be considered for an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament at the end of the month.

Behind Skip Adams' (Albuquerque, N.M.) four RBI backing up the four-hit pitching of DeCarlo and reliever Josh Banks (Arnold, Md.), the Golden Panthers took their first step toward a sixth-straight post-season appearance.

FIU scored first in its half of the first inning on Solomon Frieder's (Miami/Sunset) solo home run, his fifth of the season.

Middle Tennessee manufactured the tying run in the second, when Justin Sims led off the frame getting hit by a pitch, stole second, went to third on a fly out and scored on a one-out infield single by Chad Cooper.

But the Golden Panthers went up 3-1 in their half of the second inning on a two-run single by Adams, then added two more runs in the fourth on Adams' ninth home run of the year.

DeCarlo settled in in the middle innings, at one time retiring 13 straight Blue Raiders, until running into trouble in the seventh against familiar nemeses. Sims started the inning reaching on a fielding error and scored one out later on a two-run homer by Cooper.

"I knew coming in this was going to be a huge game," said DeCarlo (11-0). "I felt good from the start but knew I had to hit my spots or else this was a team that could hurt you.

"Maybe being undefeated puts a little extra pressure on me, but I can't afford to be thinking about that. What's most important is the team and that we're winning."

FIU tried for an insurance run in the bottom half of the seventh, but Bernard Gonzalez (Miami/Brito) was gunned down at the plate by MT right fielder Marshall Nisbett trying to score from second base on a single by Hector Nunez (Miami/Goleman).

Banks pitched the ninth inning to earn his fourth save of the season, all over the last three weeks. After giving up a leadoff double to Nisbett, Banks retired the next three hitter including Cooper, who ended the game with a hard ground out to first base.

FIU and Middle Tennessee continue their three-game regular-season wrap up, Saturday and Sunday at 1 p.m. both days.