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It’s safe to say FAU coach John McCormack’s lineup shakeup worked.
FAU blasted its way to a much-needed 17-9 victory over Middle Tennessee to even the weekend series in Murfreesboro, Tenn., at one game apiece.
“What an offensive game – the guys swung it really well, and we did enough on the mound to get the win,” McCormack said.
The victory, combined with Southern Miss’ win over Louisiana Tech, allowed the Owls to leapfrog the Bulldogs into second place in Conference USA.
FAU scored 11 runs over the final four innings to break a 6-6 tie and ease to a victory.
Batting in the No. 2 spot rather than lead-off for the first time since the fifth game of the season, Tyler Frank homered in his second consecutive game, raising his team-high season total to 11. One of the reasons McCormack dropped Frank one spot in the lineup was to give him more opportunities to drive in runs. Frank finished the afternoon 2-for-5 with five RBI.
Cody Wilson hit lead-off for the first time in his FAU career, going 1-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored.
David Miranda homered twice. His first one, a solo shot, gave the Owls a 9-6 cushion in the seventh, He repeated the feat the following inning with a three-run blast.
GameBrowser: FAU (33-15-1, 16-8-1) 17, MTSU (25-24-1, 10-15-1) 9
Moving Forward: One of Gunnar Lambert’s two hits was a homer. He drove in three runs. …Jared DeSantolo only had one hit, but he made it count, sending it over the fence. …Reliever Marc Stewart worked a perfect ninth inning. …Jordan Poore allowed only one hit in 1 2/3 scoreless innings.
Sliding Backward: Coach John McCormack dropped Joe Montes from second to sixth in the lineup, hoping a change would help him break out of a slump. It didn’t work. Montes went hitless in four at-bats. …Drew Peden allowed four runs in 1 2/3 innings of relief. The good news for Peden is that he earned his team-high eighth win on the season.
Key Stat: 7 – Different Owls scored multiple runs. All nine starters scored at least one run.
Up Next: FAU will try to claim the series from MTSU on Sunday. Mike Ruff will get the start for FAU. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m.
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