BILOXI, Miss. –Florida Atlantic scored in five of the nine innings, including in each of the first four and defeating UTSA 11-4 in the semifinals of The First 2019 Conference USA Championship presented by Air Force Reserve Saturday at MGM Park.
Trailing 8-0 in the bottom of the third, the Roadrunners (28-30) rallied for four but that is all they could muster against the Owls (40-18).
Ryan Stacy doubled home Jonathan Tapia for the first UTSA runs of the game. Bryan Sturges grounded out but plated Bryan Arias from third. Dylan Rock followed with a two-out double, scoring Stacy.
Joe Montes homered for the second time in the game in the next inning, extending FAU's lead to 9-4 but both pitching staffs settled in and posted zeros until the Owls tacked on two in the ninth.
Stacy, Rock, Paxton, Tapia and Grimes registered a hit each for the Roadrunners. Sturges added one to his team high 48 RBIs, Rock tallied one and Stacy recorded a pair.
Arias, Bradley Griggs, Garrett Moon, Karan Patel, Stacy and Logan Swofford finish their respective collegiate careers as the focus shifts to the 2020 campaign.
- UTSA -