MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. | Florida Memorial dominated Fort Lauderdale in the final doubleheader of the season at Harry T. Moore Baseball Field. The Lions took command of game two, winning 11-8 followed by shutting out the Eagles 10-0 ending in eight innings.
Gm. 2
FMU 11 - UFTL 8
The Lions took an early lead in the bottom of the first with an Alejandro Fernandez 2-RBI single that scored teammates Luis Ruiz and Pheron Charlton. Scoring continued when senior Reinaldo Prieto generated an RBI that scored first baseman Eduardo Perez as the Lions left the first inning with a 3-0 lead. FMU resumed scoring in the bottom of the third with four runs scored by pinch runner Te'Jai Jackson, senior Ulises Rodriguez, Prieto, and Charlton, giving FMU a commanding 7-0 lead.
Fort Lauderdale began chipping away at the lead with two runs in the top of the fourth, but Florida Memorial answered back with a three-run bottom of the fourth. The first came from a throwing error that scored Genesis Nunez, followed by a Gianni Tusa RBI single that scored designated hitter Keith Harden. Another throwing error scored Prieto for his second run of the game as the Lions established a 10-2 lead after four innings. A Jackson RBI scored Perez for his second run of the game to extend the lead to nine runs in the bottom of the fifth.
The Eagles tried to generate a comeback in the top of the sixth, with six runs in the inning to close the deficit to three runs on the Lions, but FMU played excellent defense in the final inning to take home the 11-8 victory in the doubleheader opener.
Junior Stephen West started on the mound for the Lions, allowing one hit and two runs while striking out four Eagles in the first two innings. Binger, Okla. native Jacob Williams (1-0) earned his first win of the season and, in 3.1 innings, allowed six hits and six earned runs while striking out two Eagles. Junior Jerryk Caceras came in relief, allowing two earned runs in his short stint on the mound. Kelvin Feliciano (S, 1) earned the save, allowing one walk and striking out one Eagle in the final inning of action.
Gm. 3 (8 innings)
FMU 10 - UFTL 0
Scoring started in the bottom of the second when Rodriguez hit an RBI single that scored Farrell to give the Lions an early lead. A scoreless third inning was followed by a five-run bottom of the fourth for the Lions. Beginning with a Farrell 2-RBI that scored Harden and Jackson, followed by a Rodriguez sacrifice-RBI that scored Farrell. Prieto made it back-to-back sacrifice flies as he scored Nunez before Perez hit an RBI single that scored Charlton for the fifth run of the inning.
FMU added an additional run in the bottom of the sixth, courtesy of an Ivan Zambrano RBI single that scored Prieto, before Nathan Harris scored Farrell with his own RBI single an inning later. The Lions put the icing on the cake in the bottom of the eighth when a Fernandez walk scored Danny Sanchez before Harden hit an RBI single that scored Perez to put the game away and end it 10-0 after eight innings.
Pitcher Carlos Solano (2-4) earned his second win of the season as he started all eight innings on the mound for the Lions. He allowed seven hits while striking out six Eagles.
The doubleheader sweep advances FMU to 18-21 on the year.
The Lions return to action Saturday, April 20, for senior day and the final game of the series. First pitch is scheduled for 12 p.m. at Harry T. Moore Baseball Field.
