Anna 
Bucknell built an early 5-1 lead but could not hold off Florida Atlantic’s late surge, falling 15-8 in a nearly four-hour matchup Tuesday night at FAU Baseball Stadium.
Despite a strong start, defensive mistakes and walks proved costly for the Bison (6-7), who allowed 14 unanswered runs before a late push in the ninth. FAU (13-3) capitalized on Bucknell’s miscues, scoring five runs in the fifth inning and never looking back.
Early Momentum for Bucknell
Bucknell took control in the fourth inning, breaking a 1-1 tie with a four-run surge. Michael Chiaravallo drew a walk, stole second, and advanced to third on an errant throw. Matt Alexander drove him in with a ground ball, setting off a two-out rally. Billy Fluharty singled and later scored on Billy Kender’s double, while Tyler Dunn walked to set up Ryan Facinelli’s two-run double into the right-center gap.
Freshman pitcher Everett Garber kept FAU in check early, working out of jams to allow just one run over three innings. He struck out five despite issuing five walks. Brady Swenson also worked a key escape act in the fourth, avoiding damage after loading the bases with no outs.
FAU’s Breakthrough
After stranding nine runners in the first four innings, the Owls finally broke through in the fifth, scoring five runs on just one hit. A shallow pop fly dropped in for a hit, bringing in one run. A bases-loaded walk made it 5-3 before a costly three-run fielding error allowed FAU to surge ahead 6-5.
The Owls extended their lead with three more runs in the sixth, two in the seventh on a Patrick Ward home run, and four in the eighth.
Late Bucknell Rally Falls Short
Bucknell attempted a late comeback in the ninth. Freshman John Calabrese delivered a pinch-hit RBI single in his first collegiate at-bat, and Alexander added another RBI hit. However, with runners on the corners and one out, FAU turned a double play to end the game.
Bucknell used seven pitchers, who combined for nine strikeouts but issued 17 walks—just one shy of the school record. Fluharty recorded his first career three-hit game, while Facinelli and Alexander each had two hits and two RBIs.
For FAU, Ward led the offense with three hits and four RBIs, while Marshall Lipsey reached base five times. Braden Ostrander earned the win in relief, allowing one run over 1.2 innings with five strikeouts.
The teams will conclude their two-game series on Wednesday at 4 p.m.
Related topics: