BOCA RATON — With FAU’s offense finally cooling off, Alex House answered the call of keeping his team in the game.
House pitched six innings of two-run ball, the Owls scored seven runs in the bottom of the eighth inning, and John McCormack’s FAU team notched their fourth straight win with a 10-3 final against Toledo on Friday night.
While it took FAU some time to get things going with the bats, House rebounded from a rough second inning and worked around six hits. Throwing 59 of his 89 pitches for strikes, House limited his mistakes and avoided the control issues that have plagued him early in the season.
The key for House on Friday night? Not walking any of Toledo’s hitters after entering play with eight walks in 14.2 innings.
“I think I pitched really well after these last two weeks,” House said. “I was around the zone but not really hitting it. Tonight, I hit it.”
FAU’s offense, which has averaged 10 runs per game since the 6-6 tie against Indiana on Feb. 26, had problems figuring out Steven Calhoun early on Friday night. Through the first three innings, Toledo’s senior left was perfect, but allowed two runs in the fourth as a patient Owls team drew three walks.
Gary Mattis also reached base without a hit, getting drilled by a pitch to bring center fielder Eric Rivera home. Esteban Puerta would score on a passed ball to tie things at two apiece. Calhoun allowed FAU to take the lead an inning later with a Rivera RBI single.
Toledo broke through first in the second inning with an RBI groundout from catcher Michael Ryan, who entered play with a dismal .121 average. Brad Boss followed with a two-out single to drive first baseman Malave Bettinger home.
“Second inning was kinda rough but that stuff happens and we got through it,” House said. “I let up two runs in the second inning and the guys come up to me and say, ‘We’re gonna score for you, we’re gonna score for you’ and I believe them. That’s what they did.”
By the time the bottom of the eighth inning ended, however, the images of Toledo keeping the game close had already been swept away. FAU scored seven in the frame with Tyler Frank, the red-hot shortstop, punctuating things with his lone hit of the night: a grand slam over the left field wall.
GameBrowser: FAU (9-4-1) 10, Toledo (1-13) 3
Moving Forward: Toledo’s Matt Hansen is going to have nightmares of Frank tonight, as the Owls’ shortstop robbed the Rockets’ shortstop of two hits…Mattis remained hot, sneaking a ball over the left field fence for his third home run this week… Austin Langham didn’t record a hit, but did walk twice… Every FAU hitter reached base… Weston Clemente, Drew Peden, and Blake Sanderson combined for four strikeouts and allowed zero runs in 2 1/3 innings of work.
Sliding Backward: The bottom third of Toledo’s lineup – Michael Ryan, Brad Boss, and Riley Campbell – all entered play with averages below the Mendoza Line. FAU pitching allowed the three to go 5-for-10… Austin Langham was held hitless… Aldrich DeJong struck out twice and looked lost on the basepaths in the fifth inning. He also failed to take control on a shallow fly ball seventh, leading to an error charged to Frank.
Key Stat: 0 – Walks allowed by House against a patient Toledo lineup.
Up Next: Jake Miednik will try for his third win of the season on Saturday afternoon when he takes the mound for against Toleda. First pitch is set for 4 p.m.
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