Baseball Drops Season-Opener to No. 19 Florida Atlantic

Friday, February 13

Boca Raton, Fla.

6:00 PM

Southern Illinois University

0-1

Florida Atlantic

5-0

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Southern Illinois	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	2	7	3
#19 Florida Atlantic	0	9	0	0	0	0	0	5	X	14	13	1

02/13/2004 | 12:00:00 | Baseball

Box Score

Feb. 13, 2004

Box Score

By Jeff Honza
www.SIUSalukis.com

BOCA RATON, Fla. - No. 19 Florida Atlantic (5-0) scored eight unearned runs as part of a nine-run second inning to fuel a 14-2 win over Southern Illinois (0-1) earlier tonight at FAU Stadium.

With the win, FAU took a 1-0 lead in the three-game series and moved to 2-0 all-time against SIU.

Seven of FAU's 13 hits of the game came in the bottom of the second, where a key error by Saluki shortstop P.J. Finigan led to eight unearned runs, including seven with two out in the inning.

Holding a two-run lead shortly after Finigan's error, a Robbie Widlansky walk and consecutive RBI-singles by Derek Hutton, Evan Brannon and Jeff Fiorentino extended FAU's lead to 5-0.

Brannon would then score on a passed ball, while a Rob Horst double and a two-RBI Fonseca triple capped off the early ambush.

Ahead 9-0, preseason all-Atlantic Sun left-hander Randy Beam held SIU scoreless until the top of the sixth, where the Salukis avoided the shutout with a RBI-single by Cory Newman and a sacrifice fly by Greg Andrews.

SIU's pair of runs, however, didn't mount much of a comeback, as FAU scored five more runs in the bottom of the eighth to seal its 14-2 win.

Six Owls, including Hutton, Fiorentino, Horst, Albano, Fonseca and Mascia had two hits apiece to lead FAU's balanced offensive attack.

SIU was led by Nathan Emrick who went 3-for-4 with a run scored, as the Salukis registered a total of seven hits.

Beam (1-0), who struck out four batters and allowed five hits in seven innings, picked up the win on the mound for FAU.

Saluki right-hander Marshall Tucker (0-1) suffered his first loss of the year after lasting just 1.2 innings, where he gave up seven hits and allowed nine runs.

Josh Joiner, Andrew Weber and Steve Quigley also pitched for the Dawgs. Of the three relievers, Joiner was most impressive, as he struck out six batters and gave up two hits in 4.1 frames.

SIU resumes its three-game series at FAU tomorrow at 6 p.m., CST. Left-hander Bryan Rueger is scheduled to pitch for the Dawgs.