Schmal Tosses Complete Game to Lift FAU Past Top-Seeded Jacksonville
Date Posted: 5/25/2006
DELAND, Fla. – Joel Schmal tossed his first career complete game to help Florida Atlantic stave off elimination at the A-Sun Championship presented by Progress Energy after knocking off top-seeded Jacksonville 8-3 on Wednesday afternoon at Melching Field.
Jacksonville struck first as Gordie Gronkowski had his two-out double followed by Mike McCallister’s triple down the right field line just past the diving Anthony Albano. Leadoff homers from William Block and Mike McKenna opened the second and third innings for FAU as the Owls took an early one-run lead. Starter Joel Schmal kept the top-seeded Dolphins off the board again until the sixth inning when JU’s McCallister drove in another run to knot the game at 2-2. FAU answered by scoring six runs over the final three innings to cruise to the 8-3 victory.
In addition to providing the complete game, Schmal fanned a career-best seven batters to breathe life back into the Owls after a disappointing last at-bat loss to Stetson on the tournament’s first day. The Highland, Ind., native improved to 7-2 with the win while JU starter D.J. Ackley dropped to 6-4 after surrendering three runs over 5.0 innings.
First team All-Atlantic Sun selection Jordan Hafer went 4-for-4 to pace Florida Atlantic who pounded out a tournament-best 19 hits. FAU's 19 hits were a season-high and the most since matching that total versus JU on April 1, 2005. Seven Owls compiled at least two hits in the contest while Block finished with a pair of RBI. McCallister ended 2-for-4 with two RBI’s for the Dolphins.
FAU’s win guarantees that five teams will advance to the tournament’s third day, putting the winner of tonight’s game against unbeaten Stetson and Mercer at an advantage heading into the final half of the championship.
JU will face the loser of tonight’s nightcap at 11:00 am tomorrow while Florida Atlantic and ETSU face off in the day’s other elimination game.
Day two concludes with host Stetson facing Mercer at Melching Field. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 pm.
