Game Two Final Stats (PDF) I Game Three Final Stats (PDF)

MIAMI (March 30, 2014) – The FIU softball team (22-13, 5-4 C-USA) split two games on Sunday with the East Carolina Pirates, winning a game that was called Saturday night due to weather, 2-0, before falling 12-2 in five innings from Felsberg Field at FIU Softball Stadium.

Game Two: FIU 2, ECU 0

Sophomore Corinne Jenkins (12-4) moved into a third place tie in Conference USA with a three-hit shutout of the Pirates. The Sarasota, Fla., native struck out four in the effort.

Freshman Stephanie Texeira drilled her team-leading sixth home run of the season in the bottom of the first. It was a two-run shot and her fourth home run of the season with at least one runner on base. The game went into a weather delay in the top of the fifth inning with no outs Saturday night.

When play resumed Sunday morning, Jenkins picked up where she left off and needed just six pitches to get through the top of the fifth. Senior Rachel Slowik laced a one-out triple to the right field pole in the home half of the fifth, but would be stranded. It's the first triple of the season for the Bradenton, Fla., native.

Game Three: ECU 12, FIU 2

Senior Mariah Dawson got tagged in a loss that all three Panther pitchers appeared in. FIU surrendered 11 hits and struck out just one Pirate.

ECU jumped ahead to a 5-0 lead after two trips to the plate, scoring once in the first inning and four times in the second inning. FIU was able to get two runs back in the bottom of the second to cut the score to 5-2. Freshman Gabby Spallone led off with a chopper up the middle and sophomore Aleima Lopez found the hole between first and second for a single. The bases were loaded following a four-pitch walk to Dani Mowry. Junior Rebekah Sanchez drove in the second run of the inning off a single through the left side. The first run scored when senior Bre Kaye got plunked by the pitch.

ECU struck again in the fourth off a two-out bases loaded single. The Pirates were held to just one run as Spallone went 8-2 from center field to toss a second runner attempting to score at home. A six-run fifth inning for ECU ended the game after five innings due to the mercy rule.

FIU returns to action this Wednesday as the Panthers travel to Florida Gulf Cost for a doubleheader scheduled to start at 5:00  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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About FIU Athletics: FIU Athletics is home to more than 400 student-athletes in 18 different sports, and is a proud member of Conference USA. Athletic events are played in seven different venues on FIU's campuses (Modesto A. Maidique and Biscayne Bay), including FIU 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 bachelor's, master's 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. FIU is a member of Conference USA and has 400 student-athletes participating in 18 sports. For more information about FIU, visit http://www.fiu.edu/.