MIAMI, Fla. – After the score was pulled even at 4-4 in the sixth, the Wofford baseball team and Florida International embarked on seven-straight scoreless innings before the Terriers finally broke through the tie with a pair in the 14^th. After a career outing by Kenny Michaels Friday night, Alec Bouchard locked down the 6-4 Wofford win at FIU Baseball Stadium to open the weekend set. The Terriers improve to 23-9 on the season with the Panthers falling to 18-16.
 
This is Wofford's first extra-innings contest since playing 10 frames at UNCG last season on May 5. This is the longest game for the Terriers in terms of innings since also playing 14 against Xavier last season on March 18 in the second leg of a doubleheader.  
 
Despite the length of the contest, Wofford only utilized three arms. This is due in large part to the career outing turned in by freshman Kenny Michaels (2-0) out of the bullpen to claim the win. Michaels tossed a career-high 7.0 scoreless innings, allowing only two hits and four walks with a career-best seven punchouts. Zac Cowan started for Wofford, pitching 6.0 innings with four runs surrendered on seven hits and just a single free pass. He struck out six. Another freshman in Alec Bouchard (1) closed out the game, collecting his first save with a 1-2-3 inning in the 14^th that included a strikeout.
 
"I started out just going out there hoping this game would be nine," said Michaels of his career outing stretching through extras. "I just trusted my offense, and as those innings progressed, I just tried to keep locked in and ready for the next one."
 
On the other end, six Panthers toed the rubber tonight with the fifth of those hurlers, Bryce Greene (0-1), taking the loss after allowing two runs (one earned) in 1.2 innings. Though giving up no hits, he walked three batters and hit another.
 
The Terriers tallied 11 total hits in the game with Marshall Toole providing four of them. He added a walk to reach base five total times. Toole's performance extends his on-base streak to 32 games. He added a stolen base, remaining perfect on the season with a national-best 28 swipes. He has now tied the second-longest stolen base streak in program history, matching the 28-straight successful steals of Kyle Behrendt between the 2009-10 seasons.
 
Brice Martinez and Tyler Hare both added two-hit games with Martinez collecting an RBI. Dixon Black added an RBI as he reached base twice with a hit and walk. Andrew Mannelly, Daniel Jackson and Tyler Bak each picked up one RBI. Mannelly was the recipient of three walks in the contest as the Wofford team worked nine total.
 
Wofford got on the board first in the top of the first. After Dixon Black reached on an error and later advanced to third, Brice Martinez extended his hit streak with a single through the left side to score Black. The Terriers grabbed a quick 1-0 edge.
 
Tyler Bak added one more to the run total in the following frame. With runners on the corners, Bak put down a well-placed sacrifice bunt to plate the runner from third and push the Wofford advantage to 2-0 in the middle of the second.
 
Another run was added in the top of the third. Marshall Toole led the frame off with a double, and Black ripped a single to bring him home, pushing the lead to 3-0.
 
FIU finally found a response in the bottom of the fourth. The Panthers tallied two runs to pull within one, 3-2.
 
Wofford got one of those runs back in the top of the fifth with an Andrew Mannelly sacrifice fly. The Terrier lead stood at 4-2.
 
FIU pulled level with a two-run single in the bottom of the sixth. The contest was tied at 4-4, and thus began the stalemate.
 
The teams played through seven consecutive scoreless frames before Wofford finally broke back through in the 14^th. This was not without each team having its chances before the respective pitching staffs clamped down. Wofford had the bases loaded with one out in the seventh, but a liner to the wrong spot created a double play.
 
The Terriers got a runner to second in the 10^th with one out, but he was stranded there. In the 11^th, Wofford had the potential go-ahead run at third, but again he was left there. FIU threatened to walk the game off in the 13^th by working three walks to load the bases with two outs, but Kenny Michaels held firm to induce a fly out and escape the jam.
 
Wofford finally cracked through in the top of the 14^th. Marshall Toole worked a walk and reached second on a groundout. Andrew Mannelly was then intentionally walked before Brice Martinez was hit with a pitch, loading the bases. Daniel Jackson came up and displayed patience, working a full count before getting walked himself, plating what turned out to be the winning run. A passed ball would bring home one more, giving the Terriers a 6-4 lead entering the bottom of the 14^th.
 
Alec Bouchard came on to close out the game, and the freshman struck out the first batter before retiring the following two hitters on groundouts. Wofford survived the marathon with a 6-4 victory.
 
"I knew that if I was given the opportunity, I was confident and ready to go," said Bouchard of closing out his first save. "I knew in my heart I'd be able to shut that down, and I think I did my job."
 
Wofford and FIU will battle again tomorrow afternoon in game two of the series with first pitch scheduled for 3:00 p.m. The contest will not be streamed, but live stats will be available.