March 28, 2003

Box Score

Boca Raton, Fla. - Derek Hutton went 5-for-6 with two RBI and three runs scored and Florida Atlantic pounded five Samford pitchers for 29 hits as FAU took game one of the Atlantic Sun Conference Series, 25-9, at FAU Field. Samford fell to 5-20 and 2-11 in the A-Sun while FAU improved to 25-7 on the season and 10-3 in the conference.

Randy Beam (7-1) picked up the win for the Blue Wave allowing seven earned runs on eight hits through five innings. Stephen Artz (0-3) gave up six runs in 2/3 of an inning. Sae Evans went 2-for-5 with three RBI to lead Samford while Justin Klinger was 2-for-4 with three RBI. Matt Alling and Robert Evans each had two hits for Samford.

Rusty Brown went 4-for-6 with three RBI and four runs scored for FAU. Shaen O'Connor added four hits while Mike Murrray and Fiorentino each had three hits.

FAU jumped out to a 6-0 lead on seven hits in the bottom of the first. After six singles put the Blue Wave ahead 4-0, Evan Brannon tripled clearing the bases making it 6-0.

Matt Pali's single scored Jeff Fiorentino in the bottom of the second to make it 7-0. Mike Cox's two-run home run extended it to 9-0 for the Blue Wave.

Samford cut into its deficit in the top of the third. After Matt Alling's infield single and Eric Hollis's walk, Justin Klinger homered to left field to make it 9-3.

Derek Hutton's solo home run to lead off the bottom of the third gave FAU a 10-3. The Bulldogs cut into their deficit in the top of fourth with four runs on three hits.

Ehren Wassermann led off the inning with a double down the field line and scored on Michael Collins' RBI single through the right side making it 10-4. Alling executed a hit-and-run moving Collins to third. Sae Evans followed with a three-run home run to right field cutting it to 10-7.

FAU added one more run in the bottom of the fourth for an 11-7 advantage. The Blue Wave added four more runs in the bottom of the fifth on six hits. Mike Murray singled and Fiorentino and Rusty Brown each doubled giving FAU a 13-7 lead. Cox hit his second home run of the game extending the lead to 14-7. Hutton's RBI single gave the Blue Wave a 15-7 lead.

The Bulldogs added two more runs in the top of the sixth. Robert Evans led off with a double to right center. Richard Bishop followed with a walk. After Collins reached on a fielder's choice, Evans scored on an error and Collins scored on a wild pitch as Samford trailed 15-9.

FAU added three more runs in the bottom of the seventh on four hits for an 18-9 lead. The Blue Wave tied on seven runs, five unearned, in the bottom of the eighth to make it 25-9.

The Bulldogs and Blue Wave wrap up their conference series Saturday with a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.