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BOCA RATON, Fla. (April 6, 2014) – For the second time in three years, the FIU softball team (25-15, 7-5) took the season series from the Florida Atlantic Owls following a 3-1 win on Sunday afternoon.
Sophomore Corinne Jenkins (13-6) matched her wins total from one season ago, when she was the Sun Belt's wins leader among freshmen. The three-hit, one-run performance is the 12th complete game of the season for the Sarasota, Fla., native, as the win moves her into third place within the conference. Through 13 2/3 innings this weekend, she allowed just eight hits and two runs.
FIU took a quick 2-0 lead during its first trip to the plate. Junior Rebekah Sanchez led off the game with a single through a hole on the left side and was able to take second on a wild pitch. A fielder's choice from freshman Stephanie Texeira moved Sanchez up 60 feet, and she scored on a 4-3 put-out by freshman Gabby Spallone. Junior Krystal Garcia plated Texeira off an RBI double down the left field line.
Texeira used her power in the third inning to belt a team-best eighth home run of the season, which made it a 3-0 ballgame for the Panthers. The Owls got on the board in the bottom of the frame. A fly ball hit to no-man's land allowed Florida Atlantic's Mickey Bell to score from second base.
Garcia had an impact on the defensive side of things, as well. With two outs in the bottom of the fourth, the junior shortstop dove towards second base and grabbed a slowly sinking line drive, which gave Jenkins her second 1-2-3 inning in four tries.
The Owls threatened in the home half of the fifth, but a 5U from senior Rachel Slowik ended a two-on, two-out opportunity. The Panthers defense provided another stellar defensive play again in the sixth inning when Spallone fully extended for a diving catch in center field. Jenkins finished the seventh with two more punch outs, upping her day's total to five.
FIU is back in back in action this weekend as the Panthers host UTSA for three games beginning at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday.
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/.
