Baseball | 4/17/2004 8:15:00 PM

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 FT. MYERS, Fla.—On a day with the wind blowing in, the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles won the battle of the long ball, sweeping a doubleheader from the Barry Buccaneers 9-4 and 6-5 at the FGC Baseball Complex.

In the first game, Barry (27-18) grabbed a 1-0 lead in the fifth inning when Carlos de la Osa drove in Cesar Aranguren who had doubled to lead off the frame.

But in the bottom of the inning, the Eagles (36-15) struck for six runs, including a three-run homer by Mike Howard, to make a winner of Billy Phillips (7-3).

Phillips went 7.1 innings, allowing four runs (three earned) on 11 hits and a walk with four strikeouts. Chris Cahill closed out the game, retiring all five men he faced, one by strikeout, to earn his third save. Alex Gonzalez (5-6) took the loss for the Bucs, giving up five earned runs in 4.2 innings. He allowed only four hits and struck out four, but walked six.

Howard led the Eagles at the plate, driving in four runs. Aranguren and Alex Meneses each had three hits for Barry. Aranguren had two doubles and Meneses slugged his second homer in four games.

In the nightcap, the Eagles grabbed an early 3-0 lead in the first inning on two hits, a walk and an error. But Barry knotted the game at 3-3 in the third inning. Brian Lima, Fausto Faraldo and Ricky Sanchez each knocked in a run.

But the long ball would once again be the Bucs' undoing. Adam Masino launched a two run homer off Jesse Naber (1-2) in the fifth inning. They added an insurance run in the sixth, scoring once on errors by Keith Barton and Meneses, which proved decisive when the Bucs rallied for two runs in the seventh.

Jason Kiley (6-2) picked up the win in relief of starter Ryan Williams, tossing four innings and giving up two runs (one earned) on three hits while striking out four. Naber took the loss for Barry. He worked three and one third innings and gave up three runs (two earned) on four hits while striking out one.

The teams conclude a three-game series tomorrow at 1:00 pm.



Florida Gulf Coast 9, Barry 4 (04/17/2004 at Ft. Myers, Fla.) (Game 1)
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Barry............... 000 010 030 - 4 11 1 (27-17)
Florida Gulf Coast.. 000 060 12X - 9 8 2 (35-15)
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Pitchers: Barry - Gonzalez; Davila(5); Guarch(8). Florida Gulf Coast - B Phillips; C Cahill(8).
Win-B Phillips(7-3) Save-C Cahill(3) Loss-Gonzalez(5-6) T-2:46 A-0
HR BUB - Meneses (2).
HR FGCU - M Howard (5).


Florida Gulf Coast 6, Barry 5 (04/17/2004 at Ft. Myers, Fla.) (Game 2)
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Barry............... 003 000 2 - 5 8 3 (27-18)
Florida Gulf Coast.. 300 021 X - 6 10 4 (36-15)
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Pitchers: Barry - Penna; Naber(3). Florida Gulf Coast - R Williams; J Kiley(4).
Win-J Kiley(6-2) Loss-Naber(1-2) T-2:17 A-423
HR FGCU - A Masino (6).