The Florida Memorial University baseball team split its home opening doubleheader Friday against the University of South Carolina-Beaufort. In its 4-1 game one win, Lions pitcher Johnaikel Acosta recorded ten strikeouts and got his first win of the 2021 season.
In the first game, South Carolina struck first, scoring one run in the top of the second on a fielder’s choice ground out to third base by outfielder Nick Milhan to score lead off hitter Alexander Humphrey. Acosta then struck out the next batter he faced to end the top of the frame.
Florida Memorial would even the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the second inning. Leading off the inning, Alex Gomez ripped a double to left center field and scored on a second double.
Yunior Sanchez got the Lions going in the bottom of the third inning with a single to left field. Next batter Jacquel Perry hit a two run home run over the left field fence that gave FMU a 3-1 lead. The Lions would keep it moving in the bottom of the seventh, tacking on an insurance run for the 4-1 lead which held up for the win.
At the plate for the Lions, Jose Santana collected a hit, Perry went 2-4 with a two run home run and two runs batted in, and Gomez was 3-4 and stole two bases.
FMU starter Acosta threw a gem. In the complete game win, he allowed one run on five hits, one earned run striking out ten batters. South Carolina-Beaufort was unable to rally in the eighth or ninth inning. The final score remained 4-1 as the Lions clinched its first home and SUN Conference win of the season.
In game two, it was all South Carolina-Beaufort (5-4 overall and 1-1 in conference), shutting out FMU as the Sand Sharks starter Brian Bromley completed the game striking out nine Lion batters.
The Sand Shark scored one run in the first, two in the second, tacked on another run in the third, plated four in the fourth and added two more in the sixth inning for the 10-0 win.
Florida Memorial (3-2 overall and 1-1 in the conference), looks for the series win Saturday.