Game 1 Final Box (PDF) | Game 1 Final Box (HTML)

Game 2 Final Box (PDF) | Game 2 Final Box (HTML)

 

MIAMI (Feb. 14, 2014) – In the opening day of the FIU Classic, the FIU softball team (6-1) went 2-0, defeating the Georgia Southern Eagles (4-2), 5-0, in five innings. In the nightcap, the Panthers gave the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles (6-1-1) its first loss of the season, as part of a 7-4 routing. With the two wins, FIU is off to its best start through seven games since 2001, when the Panthers rattled off 8-straight victories to open play.

 

Game one saw sophomore Corinne Jenkins pitch her second shutout of the season, tossing a team-best third victory on just 71 pitches, 67 percent of which were strikes.

 

Led by the top of the order, senior Bre Kaye (2-for-3), junior Rebekah Sanchez (2-for-3) and freshman Stephanie Texeira (1-for-2) combined for five hits and five runs. Junior Shelby Graves went 3-for-3, while driving in two.

 

Reigning Conference USA Player of the Week Texeira got the game started with a 3-4 double play in the top of the first. In the home half, Sanchez hit a one-out single to left and came across the plate courtesy of Graves's two-out single back up the middle. Sophomore Aleima Lopez, who led the team in home runs a season ago, followed with a two-run shot over the left field wall for her first home run of the season.

 

Junior Krystal Garcia put an end to the Eagles' threat in the top of the second, scooping up a shot down the line and stepping on third for the unassisted putout.  The Panthers would score again in the third when Texeira beat out an infield single, plating Kaye, who started the inning with a double to left center.

 

Lopez tossed out a runner trying to steal second in the top of the fifth, after Georgia Southern got the lead-off batter on. In the bottom of the inning, Kaye and Sanchez worked back-to-back singles before Texeira took first after earning a walk. Graves got her second RBI of the game on the following at bat, plating Kaye off a blooper to left. FIU went on to score four runs in the inning, ending the game at 8-0 after five innings.

 

Graves took to the circle in the second game against Florida Gulf Coast and tossed five innings while striking out five.

 

The top of the lineup was hot for the Panthers again in game two, as Kaye (3-for-4), Sanchez (2-for-4) and Texeira (2-for-4) combined for seven of FIU's 13 hits, while scoring three runs. It's the first time since last year's season finale that Kaye recorded three hits and is the first time since April 13, 2013 that she's had back-to-back multi-hit games, while also leading the team today with five total hits.

 

Off to the best start at the plate in program history, Texeira put FIU ahead early in game two by sending a two-run shot beyond the wall in left. It's the first home run of the Miami, Fla. native's career. The Eagles tied the game in the top of the third off a double with two in scoring position. In the home half, Texeira and Lopez hit back-to-back singles on the first pitch each of them saw. The bases were loaded for freshman Brianne Kimura (2-for-2), whose RBI single to center plated two runs, as part of a four-run fourth for the Panthers.

 

Graves fanned two in the fifth as part of a 1-2-3 inning. Florida Gulf Coast scored two runs in the fifth, before Graves bared down and struck out the batter swinging, leaving the bases loaded. With runners on the corners and no outs, Texeira turned her second unassisted double play of the day, quickly erasing Florida Gulf Coast's late-inning threat. Slowik finished the inning with a 6-3 putout.

 

Sanchez added some insurance for the Panthers in the sixth, driving in Kaye from second base off a chopper up the middle. In the seventh, senior Mariah Dawson earned her first save of the season. She finished the night with two strikeouts in two innings pitched.

 

FIU continues tournament action tomorrow, first playing Wisconsin at 12:30 p.m. The team's second game will be determined based on tournament seedings and will either be at 3:00 p.m. or 5:30 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)

 

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