MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – The FIU baseball program flexed its power on Sunday, launching three home runs en route to a 10-5 victory over Middle Tennessee, securing the series win.
With the win, FIU (19-10, 4-2 CUSA) clinched its second consecutive Conference USA (CUSA) series victory to start conference play and earned its first series win in Murfreesboro since May 2019.
The Panthers’ 19-10 record marks their best start to a season since 2014 and the strongest under third-year head coach Rich Witten.
FIU wasted no time setting the tone, jumping out to a 6-0 lead through the first six innings while blasting three solo home runs.
The scoring started in the fourth when Alex Ulloa crushed his fourth homer of the season, bringing his team-leading RBI total to 29. Later in the inning, after a Kishon Frett walk, Javier Crespo delivered a bloop RBI single into shallow left-center to make it 2-0.
In the fifth, Cole Cleveland joined the home run barrage, launching his third long ball of the year to right field, extending the lead to 3-0. Brylan West added to the offensive fireworks in the sixth with a deep solo shot to center. Later in the inning, Cleveland came through again, driving in two more runs on a single to score Andrew Ildefonso and Crespo, pushing the lead to 6-0.
Middle Tennessee (14-13 (2-4 CUSA) responded in the bottom of the sixth with five runs, highlighted by a three-run homer, cutting the deficit to 6-5. However, that was all the offense the Blue Raiders could muster as FIU’s bullpen shut the door.
The Panthers added insurance runs in the seventh, scoring three times. Ildefonso drove in a run on a fielder’s choice, while Crespo and Austin Dearing capped the rally with RBI singles, making it 9-5. FIU plated its final run in the ninth on a wild pitch to seal the victory.
Redshirt junior Owen Puk delivered a career-best performance, earning his third win of the season. He tossed five scoreless innings, allowing just one hit while striking out a career-high eight batters. Puk has now thrown 11 consecutive scoreless innings.
Jarek Woodward surrendered five runs in the sixth but was followed by strong relief efforts from Jaydon Bishop, who threw 1.2 scoreless innings with four strikeouts, and Kevin Martin, who closed the game with two hitless innings and three strikeouts. The Panthers’ pitching staff combined for 16 strikeouts, marking the 16th game this season in which FIU has recorded 10 or more strikeouts.
FIU tallied 12 hits, with five players recording multi-hit performances. Brylan West led the offense with his 10th multi-hit game of the season and his second straight game with multiple hits. Ildefonso and Crespo each notched two hits, while Cleveland drove in a team-high three RBIs. Dearing contributed off the bench with two hits.
Ulloa remains red-hot in conference play, totaling 10 hits and nine RBIs through six CUSA games, ranking second in the conference in RBIs.
UP NEXT
FIU heads to Coral Gables to take on the Miami Hurricanes on Wednesday, April 2 at 6 p.m.. from Alex Rodriguez Park at Mark Light Field. It wll be streamed live on ACC Network Extra.
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