Hialeah, Fl - BUF Baseball opened its season up against Florida National University, an NAIA program, with a doubleheader on Friday, February 7, followed by a second doubleheader on Saturday.

Game 1
Mark Pastorella, a freshman from Ocala, got the nod on Opening Day as the Eagles' starting pitcher. Neither team scored in the first two innings, with only 1 hit from FNU. Pastorella struck out three batters across those two frames, including two in the first inning.
In the top of the 3rd, catcher Taivyn Anderson recorded the first hit of the season for BUF with a double to left field. Xavier Taylor entered as a courtesy runner. With two outs, Junior Paulino stepped to the plate and launched a first-pitch home run to left, scoring Taylor and giving the Eagles a 2–0 lead.
Florida National answered with a run in the bottom of the 3rd to cut the lead to one. BUF responded in the 4th as Bryan Calderon and Zane Alford were both hit by pitches, and Adam Gieger drew a walk to load the bases. Jayden Jones drove in Calderon with a ground ball RBI and Eli Albery followed with a single that scored Alford, extending the Eagles' lead to 4-1.
FNU scored two runs in the bottom of the 4th to make it 4-3, then added five runs in the 5th to take an 8-4 lead. In the top of the sixth, Jones led off with a double and Anderson walked, with Taylor again entering as a courtesy runner. With two outs and runners on second and third, Quincy McFadden doubled to right field, driving in both runs and pulling BUF within two at 8-6.
Florida National would not be denied in this game, as they scored 6-runs in the bottom of the 6^th and went on to win Game 1 by a score of 14-6.
 

Game 2
BUF came out determined in the afternoon contest. Evan Wallace led off with a single and Paulino reached on an error. Ivan Membreno followed with a line-drive double to right field, scoring both runners to give the Eagles a 2-0 lead. Bryan Calderon kept the rally going with a double to center, driving in Membreno and making it 3-0.
Trace Brook started on the mound for BUF and struck out two in a scoreless first inning. In the top of the 2nd, Quentin Renfroe doubled to right and later scored on an RBI by Paulino, extending the lead to 4-0. Florida National responded with three runs in the 2nd and one in the 3rd to tie the game at 4-4.
BUF regained the lead in the 4^th as Paulino singled with two outs.  Membreno was hit by a pitch.  Calderon walked to load the bases. Alford was then hit by a pitch, bringing in Paulino to make it 5-4. The Eagles held FNU scoreless in the bottom of the inning.
In the 5th, Tucker Nix singled, advanced to third, and scored on a wild pitch to push the lead to 6-4. Renfroe walked, and courtesy runner Korbin Odom stole second before Paulino tripled to left, scoring Odom. Membreno followed with a double to right, driving in Paulino and giving BUF an 8-4 lead.
Torin Clark-Hussey came on in relief and kept FNU scoreless in the 5th. In the 6th, Membreno entered to pitch and struck out one in another scoreless frame. BUF added an insurance run in the 7th after Renfroe singled and later scored on a wild pitch.
Florida National scored two runs in the bottom of the 7th, but the Eagles held on for a 9–6 victory, splitting the opening day doubleheader.
 

Game 3
On Saturday, February 7, play resumed between the two teams, with Quenton Renfroe taking the mound for BUF. The game remained scoreless through the top of the 3rd innings. For the Eagles, Evan Wallace singled in both of his at bats, while Eli Albury drew a walk. FNU broke the scoreless tie by getting a runner on via walk and driving him in to take a 1-0 lead.  BUF answered right back in the top of the fourth. Membreno led off with a double, advanced to third, and was brought home on a sacrifice fly by Alford to tie the game at 1-1.
In the bottom of the 5th, FNU put two runners on and then connected on a 3-run home run to take a 4-1 advantage. The Eagles once again battled back in the 6th. Membreno opened the inning with a leadoff triple on a fly ball to right field, followed by a two-run home run from Bryan Calderon on a deep shot to right that scored both runners. BUF now trailed by just one, 4-3, heading into the 7th. With two outs and nobody on, Wallace came to the plate facing defeat and lined a single to right. Paulino then reached on an error, allowing Wallace to advance to third. Membreno was intentionally walked to load the bases, but the next batter popped out, and the Eagles fell just short, losing 4-3 after nearly pulling off a late comeback.
 


Game 4

BUF's lineup featured several changes in the fourth and final game of the series.  Coach Albury rested the regular starters and gave other players an opportunity, and they made the most of it. The first inning was quiet for both teams.  BUF took control in the second. Frederick De La Rosa drew a leadoff walk; Ashton Bailey followed with a single; and Connor Ward was hit by a pitch to load the bases with 1 out. Cale Barnes then delivered a double into left field, clearing the bases and giving the Eagles a 3-0 lead. Tucker Nix added a double, though BUF was unable to extend the lead further.
Hagan Smith started on the mound and kept the FNU's bats quite early. In the top of the third, Andrew Golden singled on a line drive to left on the second pitch of his at-bat. Torin Clark-Hussey was then hit by a pitch, putting two runners on for De La Rosa, who drove in Golden. Clark-Hussey later scored on an error, extending the Eagles' lead to 5-0. Korbin Odom added an RBI single later in the inning, making it 6-0 BUF. Smith allowed no runs through 5.1 innings, and the Eagles carried that 6-0 lead into the 6th. FNU erupted for 6 runs in the 6th to tie the game, then completed the comeback with a walk-off home run in the 7th. Despite the tough ending, the series marked an overall positive start to the season for the Eagles.
For the series, Ivan Membreno went 5-for-9 at the plate (.556), including three doubles and a triple with three RBIs and three walks. Junior Paulino led the team in RBIs (4) and runs scored (4), adding a triple and a home run while batting .333. Evan Wallace led the team in at-bats (13) and collected five hits, batting .385. Bryan Calderon also homered and drove in three runs. Korbin Odom was perfect on the basepaths, stealing all 3 of his attempts, while Xavier Taylor also went a perfect 2-for-2 in stolen bases.
 


Special thanks to Jeremy Webb who kept stats and took photos across the 4 games. 
 
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