MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – Florida Memorial University fell into an early hole and couldn't rally back as it fell to visiting Keiser University 8-5 Friday afternoon in the opening game of a three-game weekend series at Harry T. Moore Field.
After taking a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first, thanks to a wild pitch that brought
Yunior Sanchez home from third base, the Lions (4-9, 3-4 Sun Conference) saw Keiser score – what would be – seven unanswered runs through the fourth inning.
FMU, which will host Keiser for a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 11 a.m., finally cut into the Seahawks' lead in the bottom of the fifth when
Jouseph Renovales hit a frozen rope to right field for an RBI double, making it a 7-2 game. The Lions tacked on two more in the bottom of the sixth thanks to a
Manuel Mollinedo double to left, that brought
Gabriel Marinez and
Nathan Llanes home.
Keiser (12-3, 4-2) stymied the Lions' momentum by holding them scoreless in the seventh, then extending its lead to 8-4 thanks to a solo home run over the right field fence by Tim Bouchard.
Florida Memorial did add a run in the bottom of the ninth – as Marinez came home on a Renovales groundout – and did, at one point, have what would've been the game-tying ran up to bat; but the Seahawks shut the door on FMU when Joseph Cole struck out Lions pinch hitter
Johnny Vasallo to end the game.
The Lions totaled five hits Friday and four of them came from the combo of Renovales and Mollinedo. Each were credited with a pair of hits and both had two RBIs.
Nathan Llanes had the team's other hit, going 1-for-2 on the day, while Marinez had three runs scored, serving as a pinch runner.
Florida Memorial's Friday starter
Edgard Aparico was credited with the loss, as he pitched six innings and gave up eight hits while striking out six.
Daniel Pimentel came in in relief of Aparico and pitched three solid innings in his first action this season.
