VERO BEACH, Fla. (March 8, 2024) – Florida National University’s baseball team (7-12) recorded its first win since Feb. 18 with a dominant 15-7 win over Penn State University Greater Allegheny (3-4) in Vero Beach, Fla. FNU suffered another loss later in the day, missing the mark opposite Penn State University Mont Alto (5-7) in shutout fashion, 5-0. The Conquistadors got an offensive boost in game one, recording 15 hits and limiting costly errors to just two.
PSUGA got off to a 2-0 lead in the first courtesy of a two-RBI double from Henry Dickmann. FNU answered back in the bottom of the frame with a run scored by Gino Bellantoni. After allowing just one hit and no runs scored at the top of the second, FNU exploded for a five-run four-hit performance in the bottom of the inning. Jason Altuve got things started with a two-score single, running in Erick Rodriguez and Roberto Fernandez. Jordan Lewis made some noise on a two-RBI triple and Bellantoni executed a well-timed sacrifice fly to run in Lewis for the final FNU score of the frame.
PSUGA had a quick three-up, three-down inning in the third, while FNU added to its lead on an RBI sacrifice fly from Jose Carpena. Bellantoni continued to keep his bat hot, posting an RBI double and later scoring on a sacrifice fly from third baseman Matthew Gonzalez.
FNU scored three more runs between the fourth and the fifth before PSUGA posted five scores in the sixth to cut FNU’s lead to 12-5. FNU gave up two runs on mistakes from the pitcher’s mound, scoring Brian Woods on a wild pitch and striking Duston Strom with the bases loaded. The Conquistadors returned the favor in the bottom of the inning, as Carpena made it home on a balk before a single from Jeremy De La Cruz scored Bellantoni and Adrian Roman.
PSUGA did not have anything left in the tank and ended the seventh on a Justin Scheibner strikeout. Despite the win, FNU only posted two hits in their game versus Penn State Mont Alto, losing 5-0 and allowing six hits. Mont Alto played a clean game from start to finish, recording no errors.
Up Next: FNU hosts Mid-Atlantic Christian University for a three-game series beginning March 11 at Claude Pepper Park.
