Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 MIAMI (Feb. 23, 2013) – The FIU Panthers softball team (10-5) extended their winning streak to nine games, outlasting Mercer and Hartford, 7-0 and 7-6, on Saturday at the FIU Softball Complex.

FIU won the opening game, convincingly over Mercer, behind the right arms of pitchers Corinne Jenkins and Shelby Graves.

Jenkins, now 4-1, threw five innings of four-hit softball, walking two and recording a strikeout. Graves finished the final two frames, allowing two hits, walking none and fanning three.

FIU put two first-inning runs on the board after Mercer leftfielder Natalie Shiver dropped a fly ball, allowing Jessy Alfonso and Brie Rojas to score from third and second base, respectively.

Aleima Lopez's sacrifice fly that plated Alfonso from third gave FIU a 3-0 lead in the third inning.

FIU added a fourth run in the third after a suicide-squeeze executed by Alfonso, that scored Krystal Garcia, who reached via a bunt single earlier in the inning.

After the first two batters in the bottom of the fifth were retired, FIU manufactured three more runs, highlighted by RBI doubles off the bats of Graves and Bre Kaye, placing the final tally at 7-0.

FIU needed eight innings to defeat Hartford in the day's final game.

After Hartford took a 1-0 lead in the third inning, FIU responded with an RBI single by Alfonso that scored Nicole Rascon, who walked and stole second base.

Hartford gained separation in the sixth inning, scoring three times to take a 4-1 advantage.

FIU chipped away at the lead with one in the bottom of the sixth and knotted the game at 4-4 in the bottom of the seventh inning.

Garcia led off the inning with a single and would eventually score on a wild pitch by Hartford starter, Zuzana Kudernatschov (0-1).

Lopez's sacrifice fly scored Rascon from third base, who singled, stole second base and advanced to third on a wild pitch during the inning, tying the game at four apiece.
After re-gaining the lead at 6-4 in the top of the eighth, Hartford lost the lead and the game in the bottom of the frame.

Rachel Slowik singled and advanced to second on the throw from the leftfielder put runners at first and second with no outs.

After Kennah Orr grounded out, Kaye singled to left field plating Graves and moving Slowik to third.

Kaye swiped second base and scored the game-winning run on Garcia's double to the right-centerfield gap.

Graves earned the win to improve to 2-1, after throwing the final 2 1/3 innings. She allowed two runs and issued six walks.

FIU will host second-seeded Mercer in the FIU Classic's championship game tomorrow at 1:30 p.m.

Fans are encouraged to follow the Panthers on Twitter (@FIUSoftball) and become a fan on Facebook (Facebook.com/FIUSoftball) for all the latest FIU Softball news. Follow all of FIU's 18 athletic teams on Google+ (FIU Athletics), Twitter (@FIUAthletics), Facebook (Facebook.com/FIUSports), YouTube (FIUPanthers), and Instagram (FIUathletics).
The Blue and Gold will play 33 home games at the FIU Softball Complex. Season tickets for the 2013 season cost only $35 for public seating, $20 for FIU employees and alumni, or $70 for the Family Plan (2 Adults and 3 Youth). To purchase single-game or season tickets, call the FIU Ticket Office at (305) FIU-GAME, or online at FIUSPORTS.com.

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About FIU Athletics: FIU Athletics is home to more than 400 student-athletes in 18 different sports. Athletic events are played in seven different venues on FIU's campuses (Modesto A. Maidique and Biscayne Bay), including U.S. Century Bank Arena and Alfonso Field at FIU Stadium.

About FIU: Florida International University is recognized as a Carnegie engaged university. Its colleges and schools offer more than 180 bachelors, masters and doctoral programs in fields such as engineering, international relations, architecture, law and medicine. As one of South Florida's anchor institutions, FIU is worlds ahead in its local and global engagement, finding solutions to the most challenging problems of our time. FIU emphasizes research as a major component of its mission and enrolls nearly 48,000 students in two campuses and three centers including FIU Downtown on Brickell and the Miami Beach Urban Studios. More than 140,000 alumni live and work in South Florida. For more information about FIU, visit http://www.fiu.edu