| Marshall's two-run homerun marked the team's first of the season. (Photo Credit Crystal Ayn Hagberg). |
BOCA RATON, Fla. (March 3, 2024) – The Stonehill College baseball team took fell to Florida Atlantic University, 20-7, during its series finale in Boca Raton, Florida Sunday afternoon. With the loss, the Skyhawks dip to 3-4 overall, while the Owls improve to 6-5 on the season.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Redshirt sophomore Sam Parks led the Skyhawks going 3-for-4 at the plate with a run scored.
- Senior captain Trey Ciulla-Hall extended his team-leading batting average to an even .400 after going 2-for-4 on the day.
- Senior shortstop Jack Marshall launched his first homerun of the season. The round tripper also marked the team's first of the season.
- Redshirt junior Jack Thorbahn tallied his team leading third double and seventh RBI of the season.
- Sophomore Jack Iannibelli had a solid relief appearance on the mound for Stonehill, not allowing a hit and striking out three in 2.1 innings of work.
- Senior classmates Spencer Rich and Jalen DeBose fueled the Owls scoring output, accounting for nine of their 20 runs on the afternoon.
- Sophomore Tyler Murphy got the start on the hill for FAU where he struck out three batters and allowed one earned run over 3.0 innings of work.
- Junior Steven Andrews (1-0) picked up the win for the Owls after coming on in relief in the top of the seventh inning.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Stonehill wasted little time jumping out to an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first, after three straight singles from graduate student Conor Kiely, Parks, and Ciulla-Hall led off the game. The Owls would respond in the bottom of the second with a pair of runs to take a 2-1 lead on the scoreboard.
The Skyhawks would answer right away with an RBI single through the middle of the bat of senior Blaine Lidsky in the top of the third, tying the game up at two aside. However, three runs in the bottom half off a two-run single from senior Andrew McKenna and a bases-loaded walk drawn by Debose would give the Owls a 5-2 lead.
In the top of the fifth inning, the Skyhawks would cut the deficit to one as Marshall launched a two-run shot over the left field fence, bringing the game 5-4. Iannibelli and redshirt sophomore Peter Haas would combine on the mound to tally three strikeouts and no hits over the next two frames to keep the game within striking distance. The Skyhawks would reward their reliever's efforts on the bump with three runs in the seventh inning to regain their lead at 7-5.
Thorbahn drove home the first run of the frame after rocketing an RBI single into right field on the first pitch of the at-bat, plating Parks and knotting the game up at 5-5. With the bases loaded, Marshall sent a ground ball over to shortstop, allowing Ciulla-Hall to race home on contact and give the Skyhawks back their one-run lead from the opening frame. Stonehill would tack one more on the board after sophomore Evan Dieter evaded a pickoff attempt and distracted the Owls infielders, allowing freshman Aidan Sengenberger to steal home and score.
However, in the bottom half of the seventh inning, FAU would open the floodgates, pouring 15 runs on the board to eventually earn a dominating 20-7 win over Stonehill.
INSIDE THE BOX & NOTES
- Freshman Will Christopher notched his first collegiate hit for the Skyhawks.
- Junior Max Brulport and freshman Justin Tullish each made their season debuts on the mound.
- Parks extended his on-base streak to six games, while Marshall moved his hitting streak to five games.
- After sophomore Pierce Friedman got the start, postgrad Billy Duff, and sophomore Rob Moynihan also appeared in relief for Stonehill.
UP NEXT
Stonehill (3-4, 0-0 NEC) returns to action on Wednesday for midweek matchup against the University of Miami. First pitch between the Skyhawks and Hurricanes is set for 6 p.m. at the Alex Rodriguez Park at Mark Light Field.
For the latest on Stonehill Athletics, follow the Skyhawks via social media on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Fans can also download the Stonehill Skyhawks "Front Row" mobile app, powered by PrestoSports, on iTunes and the Android Market.
