By Brett Shweky/Editor
The FIU Panthers opened the 2019 baseball season with a disappointing 13-7 loss against the Stony Brook Seawolves on Friday, Feb. 15 at the FIU Baseball Stadium.
Stony Brook’s Greg Marino earned the victory after throwing five innings and restricting the Panthers to just one run before ending the night.
The Seawolves jumped out to a 7-1 lead and enjoyed a comfortable advantage until FIU shortened the deficit by scoring four runs in the bottom half of the sixth inning and one in the bottom of the seventh.
Right fielder Adan Fernandez got the scoring stretch started by singling to left field to score center fielder Jarrett Ford.
Designated hitter Jose Garcia followed by tacking on the third run of the night with a double to left center which scored third baseman Austin Shenton and advanced Fernandez to third.
Fernandez then reached home to make it 7-4 after first baseman Seth Cannady flew out to right field.
To close out the scoring run in the bottom of the sixth, catcher Javier Valdes singled through the left side to score Garcia.
During the bottom of the seventh, Ford reached home once again to make the score 7-6 as Cannady scored him on a sacrifice fly.
A one-run deficit would be as close as the Panthers would get to Stony Brook however as the Seawolves went on to earn six runs in the final two innings to secure the Opening Night victory.
Left fielder Lorenzo Hampton Jr. paced the Panthers’ batting by going three-for-four at the plate and collecting two RBI.
The senior also recorded the Panthers’ lone homer of the contest as he sent the ball over the wall in the eighth to earn FIU their final run.
Left-hander and starter Logan Allen picked up the loss for the Panthers with him giving up four runs in the fifth inning.
Stony Brook third baseman Michael Russell led the team in hitting by going three-for-five at the plate with two runs and one home run.
FIU will play the second contest of the three-game series against Stony Brook on Saturday, Feb. 16 at the FIU Baseball Stadium. First pitch is set for 6 p.m.
