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MIAMI, Fla. - FIU used a walk-off home run in the ninth inning to defeat Kennesaw State, 4-3, Saturday evening at FIU Baseball Stadium, clinching the series.
The Owls (15-16, 6-8 CUSA) erased a 3-0 deficit with a run in the fifth inning and two more in the sixth but were held scoreless over the final three frames.
KSU tallied 13 hits in the loss, led by Trenton Lyons' career-best 4-for-5 day and Chris Cole's 3-for-3 outing that featured a pair of walks.
Nolan Sliver tossed 5.0 innings of three-run ball in the start before handing the ball to Nate Helman, who worked 2.1 scoreless innings. Helman allowed just two hits before giving way to Harry Cain (L, 2-3), who escaped a threat in the eighth before surrendering the walk-off homer in the ninth.
How it Happened
- B2 | Each of the first four Panthers reached base, highlighted by a two-run single (2-0, FIU).
- B4 | FIU launched a solo homer to right-center field (3-0).
- T5 | Cooper Williams hit into a fielder's choice, moving up to third base after a single from Lyons and a walk by James McGee before Jackson Chirello reached on an error, driving home Williams (3-1).
- T6 | Cole hit a leadoff single before going first-to-third when Aaron Posey dropped a sacrifice bunt. Cole jogged home after an errant throw to third by the FIU first baseman, before Lyons tied the game with an RBI single to plate Grayson McCollum (3-3).
- B9 | A solo home run clinched the series win for the Panthers (4-3, FIU).
Notes from the Diamond
- Sliver surpassed 100 career strikeouts with his five-strikeout effort.
- The senior is the third KSU arm to reach the century mark this season.
- Lyons recorded the first four-hit game of his career.
- Cole notched his second three-hit performance of the year.
- James McGee extended his on-base streak to 20 games, while Chris Cole pushed his to 16.
Next Up
Kennesaw State looks to salvage the series on Sunday at Noon.
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