Florida Atlantic Eliminates VCU With 3-1 Victory
June 4, 2005
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Florida Atlantic starting pitcher Mikey Storey threw a complete game allowing just one run to lead the Blue Wave (37-23) past Virginia Commonwealth 3-1 Saturday afternoon in Game 3 of the 2005 NCAA Coral Gables Baseball Regional at Mark Light Field.
With the win FAU advances to Game 5 where they will face the loser of Saturday evening?s Mississippi State-Miami game. Storey earned the victory behind a seven strikeout outing for his second consecutive complete-game win, in eliminating VCU.
The Rams? Brett Walker shouldered the loss, allowing two runs in the top of the eighth in relief work.
The Blue Wave and Rams fought through four-and-a-half scoreless innings before VCU?s Barrett Ripley led off the bottom of the fifth with a double off the leftfield wall. Ripley advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Pete Farina on the next at bat then beat FAU shortstop Daniel Cook?s throw to home on a ground ball off the bat of Trai Harris to score the Rams? lone run of the day.
VCU starting pitcher John Leonard gave way to Walker in the eighth after seven scoreless innings work, allowing five hits while striking out three with no walks.
FAU pinch hitter Tyler Stevens greeted Walker with a single to centerfield to lead off the inning. Walker advanced to second on a sacrifice off the bat of Cook before coming around to score two batters later on a double to right-center by Mike McBryde to put the Blue Wave on the board.
McBryde came around to score on the next at bat on a shot down the third base side by Alex Silversmith to give FAU a 2-1 lead.
The Rams threatened in the bottom half of the eighth with runners on second and third with one out, but Storey worked his way out striking out Scott Sizemore and forcing Tim St. Clair to ground out to save the FAU lead.
Stevens added an insurance run for the Blue Wave in the top of the ninth, plating Jonathan Shapland, who worked his way to third on balk and a sacrifice, respectively, following a lead-off single to right.
