By Brett Shweky/Editor
The FIU Panthers split their doubleheader against Jacksonville State on Saturday in Alabama as the team secured their first series win of the season.
After falling 3-1 in the second contest of the series, the Panthers (5-5) followed up their defeat with a 5-2 victory over the Gamecocks in the rubber game.
FIU defeated Jacksonville State 2-1 in the opening game on Friday after starting pitcher Logan Allen fueled the way for the team by tallying 12 strikeouts.
Game Two: Jacksonville State 3, FIU 1
Behind a three-run inning by Jacksonville State in the fifth, the Panthers dropped the second game of the weekend series 3-1.
Taylor Craven opened the scoring stretch for the Gamecocks after he doubled down the left field line to score Carson Crowe for the equalizing run.
Jacksonville State’s Alex Webb followed by hitting a double to left field which allowed Chase Robinson and Crowe to reach home plate to gain the advantage.
During the third, Kobe Lopez scored the lone run of the game for the Panthers as he advanced to score on an RBI single from Austin Shenton.
Shenton recorded two of the Panthers’ seven hits on the day with him having collected an RBI as well. Lorenzo Hampton Jr. also contributed with two hits.
Trey Fortner (1-2), who pitched six innings for the Gamecocks, earned the victory for his team with him having limited the Panthers to just one earned run and six hits.
Gamecocks’ closer Christian Edwards secured the save for Jacksonville State by delivering one scoreless inning.
Nick MacDonald (0-1) picks up the loss after five frames of actions as he allowed six hits and three earned runs.
Game Three: FIU 5, Jacksonville State 2
Javier Valdes’s two-run homer in the sixth ended up being the difference maker for the Panthers in the final game of the series.
In the sixth with the Gamecocks holding a 2-1 advantage, Jarrett Ford scored the opening run of a three score stretch as Shenton sent him home on single to right field.
Valdes cracked the tie with his two-run dinger the following the play to secure a 4-2 lead for the Panthers.
FIU tacked on an insurance run in the eighth as Derek Cartaya reached the plate on a fielder’s choice to second base.
Starting pitcher Christian Santana (1-1) earned the victory for the Panthers, while Jacksonville State’s Tyler Wilburn (0-1) collected the loss.
Santana limited the Gamecocks to five hits and two runs in the 5.2 innings he threw in.
Next on the schedule
The Panthers will return to the FIU Baseball Stadium for a six-game homestand as they begin the stretch against the Florida A&M Rattlers on Tuesday, March 5 with the teams squaring off in a two-game series.
First pitch for game one is set for 7 p.m., while Wednesday’s matchup will be at 3 p.m.
