THE RUNDOWN
The offensive momentum from Friday carried over into Saturday as DBU (26-9, 11-3) knocked off Florida Atlantic (22-14, 7-7) to take the series on the road. Five different Patriots individually had a multi-hit day en route to an 11-3 win.
 
DBU starting pitcher Braxton Bragg came out firing, fanning the first two hitters he faced in the game. However, some situational hitting by the Owls gave FAU the first run of the day in the bottom of the second as Jackson Ross walked, stole second base, and later crossed home plate on a single by John Schroeder.
 
The Patriot bats came alive in the third. Luke Heefner singled to lead off the inning, and five of his teammates (Miguel Santos, Nate Rombach, Ethan Mann, Tom Poole, and Kodie Kolden) strung together hits in succession to put DBU ahead, 4-1.
 
In the bottom half of the inning, Mitchell Hartigan and Nolan Schanuel pieced together back-to-back hits of their own to bring the game back within two tallies.
 
After two groundouts in the top of the fourth, Santos, Rombach, and Mann loaded the bases for Tom Poole. The Patriots' first baseman promptly lifted a 1-0 pitch over the right field fence for his first career grand slam and stretched the margin to six runs in favor of the Patriots.
 
With his team down, 8-2, Schanuel provided a spark for his Owls with a solo shot in the sixth.
 
Conner Mackay relieved Bragg in the same frame, inheriting runners on first and second and inducing a double-play ground ball to escape the jam. Mackay and fellow reliever Preston Tabor kept FAU off the board, combining for one hit allowed and a pair of strikeouts in 3.2 innings.
 
DBU tacked an additional two insurance runs in the ninth highlighted by a Jace Grady RBI double to complete a dominant with for the Patriots.
 
THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW
- For the sixth time this season, DBU scored at least 10 runs while allowing three or fewer.
- Nate Rombach had his second career four-hit game, going 4-for-5 with a double.
- Tom Poole's fourth-inning grand slam was the Patriots' fifth of the year.
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
3 - The Patriots turned three double plays on Saturday.
5 - DBU has won all five of their Conference USA series.
9 - The Patriots' nine-game winning streak is its longest since 2019.
 
HEAD COACH DAN HEEFNER ON DBU'S OFFENSIVE APPROACH IN THE FIRST TWO GAMES OF THE SERIES
"It was one through nine. Guys up and down the lineup have been having quality at-bats. We talked it before the [game] yesterday, that that was what we have to do to be good. It's a "pass the baton" mentality. There's no star in there. Everybody just needs to win one pitch at a time. Really proud of how they did that yesterday and today."
 
UP NEXT
DBU looks to complete the sweep of FAU tomorrow. First pitch is scheduled for 11:00 am CT.

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