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

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

 

MIAMI (Feb. 8, 2014) - For the second straight day, the FIU softball team (4-0) swept the day, shutting out the DePaul Blue Demons, 8-0, in five innings to grab the Felsberg Memorial's No. 1 seed. The team then faced off against the No. 4 seed Maryland Terrapins, winning, 6-5, via a walk-off walk in the bottom of the seventh. It's the first time since the 2005 season that the team has started the year with 4-straight victories. 

 

Game one was led by freshman Stephanie Texeria (3-for-3, 2 RBI) who had the game-winning RBI double in the fifth. Also hot at the plate was junior Krystal Garcia, who went 2-for-2 and drove in one.

 

Sophomore Corinne Jenkins tossed a 46-pitch complete-game, while accumulating three 1-2-3 innings. The Sarasota, Fla., native had 72 percent of her pitches called as strikes, while allowing just four hits.

 

Jenkins battled through a runners-on-first-and-second situation in the top of the second and got the batter at the plate looking to end the Blue Demons' threat. The Panthers bats came alive in the second inning off a two-out rally. Garcia drilled a double down the left field line, which was followed by a single through the right side from junior Shelby Graves. With runners on first and second, senior Bre Kaye reached base on a fielder's choice, advancing to third on an error, which plated two runs as part of a 3-run inning for FIU.

 

Garcia's second double came in the next inning, which plated one. Senior Rachel Slowik's RBI single made the score 5-0 through three innings.  

Jenkins continued to breeze through DePaul's lineup, with a 6-4-3-2 play at the plate to prevent a Blue Demon run from crossing in the fifth, which was DePaul's only scoring opportunity for the game.

 

Texeira's walk-off double to deep left field in the fifth drove in two and ended the game early for the Panthers.

 

Jenkins was back in the circle for its second game of the day, going the first two innings and striking out one. 

 

In only her eighth career at bat, freshman Gabby Spallone hit a 2-run homerun to left field as part of a 4-run first inning for the Panthers. Maryland tacked on two runs in the second to cut FIU's lead to 4-2. Senior Mariah Dawson (4 IP, 1 K) replaced Jenkins after two innings and was able to get out of a bases loaded situation twice, preserving a 4-3 lead in the third and a 5-3 edge in the sixth.

 

Texerira tacked on a run for FIU in the fourth off a sac fly to left with a bases loaded situation. Maryland came back to tie the game at 5-all in the top of the seventh. In the home half, Texeira led off with a double, her third of the day. Graves advanced pinch runner sophomore Marisa McGregor to third. With the bases loaded, sophomore Dani Mowry pinch hit and worked the walk, making it 4-straight wins for the Panthers.

 

Kaye went 2-for-3 with a walk and one run scored against Maryland. To start her career, Texeira is 10-for-12, batting .833 five RBI, four doubles and five RBI.

 

FIU plays in the championship game of the tournament tomorrow against DePaul. First pitch is set for 1:30 p.m. from the FIU Softball Stadium.

 

 

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