Baseball Loses to No. 19 Florida Atlantic, 7-0

Saturday, February 14

Boca Raton, Fla.

6:00 PM

Southern Illinois University

0-2

Florida Atlantic

6-0

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

02/14/2004 | 12:00:00 | Baseball

Box Score

Feb. 14, 2004

Box Score

By Jeff Honza
www.SIUSalukis.com

BOCA RATON, Fla. - Southern Illinois (0-2) committed five errors which led to six unearned runs, as No. 19 Florida Atlantic (6-0) posted a 7-0 shutout earlier tonight at FAU Stadium. With the win, the Owls took a 2-0 lead in the three-game series.

FAU took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second, where Tim Mascia led things off with a solo homer to right. Shortly after Mascia's bomb, a pair of Nathan Boldt errors led to another run which capped off the Owls' early surge.

SIU's defensive struggle continued in the bottom of the third, where another pair of errors led to four more unearned runs. Jeff Fiorentino led off the inning with a single to left center. With one out, Alex Fonseca then singled up the middle and advanced to second on an error by P.J. Finigan.

With one away and runners on second and third, Mascia popped up for the second out of the inning. On the ensuing play, Robert Orton reached on an error by first baseman Erik Alvarez, and Fiorentino and Fonseca each scored. A two-RBI single by Justin Martin came shortly after that to extend the Owls' lead to 6-0.

Moments after a Fonseca double, a third error by Boldt would lead to one last unearned run, as FAU polished off its 7-0 shutout.

Matt O'Brien moved to 2-0 on the mound after striking out 10 batters in an impressive three-hit shutout. He also issued one walk in seven innings.

Left-hander Bryan Rueger (0-1) suffered the loss for the Dawgs after allowing five hits and six runs in three innings.

SIU, who has committed a total of eight errors in its first two games this season, concludes its three-game series at FAU on Sunday at 11 a.m., CST.