By Brett Shweky/Editor
En route to FIU head coach Mervyl Melendez’s earning his 600th career win, the FIU Panthers downed the Florida A&M Rattlers 8-6 on Wednesday at the FIU Baseball Stadium to force the split in the two-game midweek series.
Derek Cartaya, Logan Allen and Lorenzo Hampton Jr. each recorded two hits for the Panthers as they fueled the team’s bats throughout the night.
FIU (6-6) opened the contest with a four-run inning in the bottom of the first after Cartaya started the scoring stretch by advancing to home on a two-base error by the Rattlers.
Allen scored the second run following Juan Teixeira being hit with a pitch as bases were loaded while Austin Shenton later singled and reached home on a Rattlers’ wild throw.
Adan Fernandez scored the last run in the inning after coming home on a bases-loaded walk by Jarrett Ford.
In the second inning, FIU would tack on an additional run following Allen’s second score of the night on a Fernandez sacrifice fly.
Florida A&M got their bats going in the third as they scored their first run of the night on Tuck Rayburn’s RBI single. The Rattlers would add two runs in the fifth to bring the Panthers’ lead to 5-3.
Later in the fifth, John Rodriguez would respond for FIU after he RBI doubled to bring Teixeira home on an unearned run.
The Panthers collected a security run in the sixth and eighth to extend their lead beyond the Rattlers reach.
Hampton Jr. RBI singled to score Cartaya in sixth while Shenton RBI singled in the eighth to advance Ford home.
The Rattlers recorded one run in the seventh, eighth and ninth inning to attempt to make a comeback on FIU but couldn’t complete the late game rally.
Right-hander Cody Cortelli earned the win for the Panthers after he put an end to a potential Florida A&M scoring run in the sixth inning.
Angel Tiburcio, who started the game for FIU, threw in four innings for the Panthers while allowing three hits, one run and striking out four.
Florida A&M starter Zach Morea picked up the loss for the Rattlers as he let up four runs in the opening inning.
Closer Jose Varela collected his first save of the season for the Panthers.
With the win, Melendez earned his 600th career win while also bring his FIU win total to 63.
The third-year head coach for the Panthers also spent stints at Bethune-Cookman (379 wins) and Alabama State (158 wins).
Next, up for FIU, the Panthers will continue their six-game homestand as they host Seton Hall for a three-game weekend series at the FIU Baseball Stadium. The opening game of the series is set for Friday at 7 p.m.
