Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 DENTON, Texas (March 10, 2013) – The Panthers (16-11, 1-1) split their first two Sun Belt Conference games with North Texas on Sunday afternoon, with a 1-0 victory and 2-1 defeat at Lovelace Stadium.

FIU manufactured the only run of the first game in the top of the sixth inning.

After the first two batters were retired, North Texas' starter, Ashley Kirk (5-4) issued back-to-back walks to Brie Rojas and Kayla Burri.

The next hitter, Aleima Lopez, singled up the middle to score Rojas from second base, giving the Panthers the eventual game-winning run.

FIU starter, Corinne Jenkins (8-1) threw her fifth complete game of the season, allowing five hits, two walks and striking out 10.

In the second game, North Texas jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the third inning after the first two batters were retired.

Madison Tierney walked and stole second base. Brooke Foster shot a single back up the middle, plating Tierney to give the Mean Green the lead.

FIU didn't waste any time responding to the deficit as Burri hit her first homerun of the season over the leftfield wall in the fourth to knot the game at 1-1.

The deciding run came in the bottom of the fifth after Mariah Dawson gave up back-to-back singles to Bryana Wade and Lesley Hirsch with one out.

Dawson forced pinch-hitter Tori Bice to hit a grounder back to the circle, but threw the ball into foul territory down the third base side trying to force pinch runner, Lauren Poole
at third. Poole took home plate after the throwing error to give North Texas the eventual game-winning run, making the tally, 2-1.

Dawson lost her eighth game of the season to fall to 3-8. She tossed six innings, allowing three hits, two runs (one earned), walking one and striking out four.

The Panthers will next travel to Tallahassee to square off in a doubleheader with Florida State on Tuesday at 5 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/.