WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (March 14, 2023) – Pie day was a bittersweet occasion for the Florida National University Conquistadors, as they suffered a 13-3 loss to the RV Keiser University Seahawks. FNU came into this March 14 match-up fresh off a sweep of the Trinity Baptist College Eagles. The Seahawks have faced some early season adversities, dropping from No. 25 after the second NAIA Coaches’ poll after losses to the University of Fort Lauderdale and No. 15 St. Thomas.
But these early season blunders were a thing of the past for Keiser, as they hung 13 runs and 14 hits with no errors committed through eight innings versus the Conquistadors. FNU did a solid job from the batter’s box, connecting on 10 hits. But Keiser got off to an excellent start and executed a solo homer in the first. This was an omen of things to come for the Conquistadors, as Keiser racked up two homers in the victory.
Gino Bellantoni scored FNU’s first run of the afternoon on a single to right field from first baseman Yordangel Gonzalez. The stellar play made it a 2-1 ball game at the top of the fourth before the Seahawks blew the game open with a three-run, two-hit fourth to take a 4-2 lead.
FNU did answer back in the fifth following a single from Gino Bellantoni sent Daniel Reyes in for the score. But a three-RBI homer to left field was the cherry on top of a stellar hitting performance from the top-ranked Seahawks. Alejandro De Arazoza would score FNU’s final run of the contest at the top of the sixth while FNU gave up five runs and three hits through the final frames.
Up Next: FNU baseball host Mid-Atlantic Christian University tomorrow at 1 p.m. at Claude Pepper Park.
