April 5, 2008

Box Score

Mobile, AL - Florida Atlantic's offense staged a late five-run rally and lefty Adam Morrison retired 10-of-11 in relief to allow the Owls a 13-9 victory over South Alabama on Saturday.

Florida Atlantic (17-11; 7-5 SBC) snapped a five-game losing streak, its first since 1998 and got back into the race for the Sun Belt Conference pennant.

South Alabama (18-12; 6-5 SBC) hit a season-high five home runs off FAU pitching, twice going back-to-back.

Ryan Bohanan and Ryan McCrory hit consecutive homers off Owls' starter Mike Gipson during a five-run USA second inning that gave the Jaguars a brief 6-2 lead.

FAU's offense immediately retaliated to tie the score at six in the top of the third, highlighted by William Block's first home run of the year- a three-run shot to leftfield.

Gispon rallied to throw three straight scoreless frames and was one out away from getting out of the sixth inning with FAU leading 8-6, but his fifth walk was followed by back-to-back home runs by Ryne Jernigan and Jake Overstreet to put USA back in front 9-8.

Gipson allowed nine runs on nine hits before Morrison came on to get FAU through the sixth, not factoring into the decision thanks to FAU's decisive five-run seventh.

Morrison (2-1) was near perfect in the final three-plus innings, retiring the first nine batters he faced and allowing just one-of -11 to reach base.

RBI hits by Troy Bubley, Nick Arata and Mike McKenna were key parts of FAU's rally in the top of the seventh, with reliever Travis Johnson (1-1) becoming the pitcher of record for USA, who had began the inning for the Jaguars but failed to record an out.

Arata went 3-for-6 and hit his fifth double. Bubley, Block, McKenna, freshman Colby Gratton and DH Tom Hatcher all enjoyed multi-hit games for FAU.

The series concludes Sunday afternoon at Stanky Field in Mobile. First pitch is slated for 1 p.m. CT.

GAME NOTES: Saturday's start time was moved back from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. to allow for field preparations after heavy rain passed through the Mobile area during the night and early morning... Freshman RH Mike Gipson made his second career start... Freshman OF Colby Gratton made his third career start, and first Sun Belt Conference start in centerfield... William Block's home run in the third inning (28th game for FAU) was his first of the season, after having totaled 18 year ago... Block has hit safely in 24 of FAU's 28 games this season... All-America candidate Mike McKenna now has 14 multi-RBI games and 15 multi-hit games this season.