Despite some early-inning baserunners, the Wildcats could not capitalize as they fell, 7-1 to FIU, Tuesday night in Miami.
How It Happened
FIU (12-26, 4-14 C-USA) struck first in the bottom of the first inning on an RBI double to the wall down the left field line. A batter later, the runner from third scored on after an RBI single.
The Wildcats (18-22, 12-6 SWAC) put at least two runners on base in the first four frames and stranded nine total baserunners through the first four innings despite registering only a single hit.
The Panthers tacked on insurance in the bottom of the fourth on a walk, wild pitch, and RBI single. A two-run homer a batter later made it 5-0.
Another two-run shot in the sixth made it 7-0, FIU.
The Wildcats put another two runners on in the ninth on an error and a Matthew Garcia bunt single. Christopher Patterson finally put B-CU on the board with an RBI single that scored Kyle Wilkinson. The game ended as Garcia was caught attempting to steal third.
“We had opportunities,” Wildcats head coach Jonathan Hernandez said postgame. “With teams like FIU you have to take advantage of those and get better. We move on from it, we learn, we grow – it’s just another part of our process.”
Joán Gonzalez started and took the loss. He threw four innings, allowing five runs – four earned – on six hits and two walks with four strikeouts.
Gabriel Perez took an inning, allowing a hit and striking out one. Marcos Gamboa allowed two runs with a strikeout in the sixth. Bryan Piña worked a clean seventh with a strikeout. Gabriel White allowed a hit and two walks walk with two strikeouts in the eighth.
With a three-game series with SWAC East leading Alabama State approaching, B-CU must be ready.
“We’ll just stick with our process and our philosophy,” Hernandez said. “We’ll take things one game at a time – our objective is always to win every conference series – we’ll leave it all out on the field.”
Notes
- Malik Stephens has reached safely in eleven straight games after a walk tonight.
- Eight different Wildcats reached base in the game – six of them via walk.
- The Wildcats ended the night with 12 men left on base.
- The Wildcats struck out 14 times as a team.
- B-CU faced 10 different FIU pitchers in the game.
Up Next
The Wildcats will hit the road this weekend and head to Montgomery, Ala. for a critical series with SWAC East leading Alabama State. The three-game series gets underway Friday, April 29, at 7 p.m.
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