By: Tobey Schulman
Recap: FAU 4 – Wichita State 2
FAU and Wichita State entered the first game of their three game series both with 5-4 records in AAC conference play so far this season. The first game FAU would ever play in the state of Kansas would go in their favor, as they managed to total two more runs than the Shockers, and take game one 4-2.
The scoreboard would stay blank until the fourth inning, when John Schroeder connected for a two-run home run to give FAU a 2-0 lead. The Shockers would get one back, eventually getting to Owls starter C.J. Williams after Dayvin Johnson recorded an RBI double, scoring Lane Hayworth. Jaden Gustafson would come up later in the inning, and ground out while recording the game tying RBI.
With the game tied in the seventh, Spencer Rich recorded a sacrifice fly out that scored Andrew McKenna to get the lead back for FAU. John Schroeder came up in the eighth to provide a critical insurance run for the Owls with his second home run of the night. This one a solo shot to give the Owls a 4-2 lead late in game one.
That would be all the scoring in the series opener. Steven Andrews and Danny Trehey both put together great performances out of the bullpen, with Andrews securing his third win on the season to improve his record to 3-0 on the year. Trehey recorded yet another scoreless inning, striking out a pair, and giving up no hits. Trehey has now lowered his ERA to 0.69 through 26.0 innings pitched in 15 appearances.
Besides the big night at the plate from Schroeder, Jalen DeBose also put together a solid night at the plate. DeBose put together a three hit night, going 3-4, improving his average on the season to .328. It’s become clear that when on the field, DeBose is one of the team’s most valuable hitters in the lineup.
FAU now improves their conference record to 6-4 going into game two. They’ll turn the ball over to a 3-0 Tyler Murphy for Saturday’s game, who looks to improve upon his 3.44 ERA. The Owls will face a 3-1 Tommy LaPour, and will look to pick up another conference series win on the road.