MIAMI (Feb. 13, 2015) – Returning home for the first time in 2015, the FIU softball team (5-3) split a pair of games in the first day of the FIU Invitational, first topping Memphis, 3-2, before falling to Purdue, 8-1, in the night cap.

Game One: FIU 3, Memphis 2
Senior Shelby Graves (1-1) grabbed her first win of 2015, going the distance for the Panthers and striking out one. She also helped her cause on the offensive side of things, going 2-for-3, which included the game-winning RBI single in the sixth inning. Junior Aleima Lopez blasted her first home run of the season in a 1-for-3 showing.

With one on in the top of the second, junior Dominique Grossman made two key stops in the outfield, including a leaping catch over the fence in right field to rob the Tigers' Brooke Lee of a home run. FIU wasted no time grabbing an early lead after that, as Lopez blasted the first home run of the season at Felsberg Field with two outs and one on in the bottom of the second.

The Panthers ran into a little bit of trouble in the top of the fourth when an FIU error allowed Memphis to push its first run of the game across. Freshman Ashley Belans was able to help her pitcher out with a 6-4 putout, ranging to her left, to end the inning. The Tigers evened the score at 2-2 in the fifth inning. With two in scoring position, Kyler Trosclair sent a line drive towards Graves in the circle, knocking her glove off and deflecting the ball long enough for Sami Jo Schulz to score.

Graves settled into her zone in the sixth inning, shutting down the Tigers in order and provided her own run support in home half of the frame.  Senior Krystal Garcia tripled to right-center with one away and scored off Graves' single to left field, which proved to be the game winner.

Game Two: Purdue 8, FIU 1
Junior Corinne Jenkins (3-2) got tagged with the loss, going five innings and picking up one strikeout in the effort.  Freshman Rachel Dwyer made her home debut, closing out the final two frames.

With two away in the bottom of the first, sophomore Stephanie Texeira extended the inning with a hard-hit double to the wall in left-center field. Sophomore Gabby Spallone drove Texeira home on the first pitch she saw, courtesy of a single to left.

The Boilermakers were able to tag Jenkins for two runs in the top of the second to take a 2-1 lead. FIU responded in the bottom part of the frame and was able to load the bases, but Purdue ended the inning on a 4-3 putout before any damage could be done. Purdue put up a four-spot in the fifth inning to take a commanding lead, 7-1, and made it seven unanswered runs for the Boilermakers.

Freshman Rachel Dwyer came into the game in the sixth inning in relief Jenkins and picked up two strikeouts, marking the first strikeouts of her career with the Panthers.

FIU returns to Felsberg Field at FIU Softball Stadium tomorrow for day two of the FIU Invitational. The Panthers will take on Memphis a 4 p.m. and LIU at 6:30 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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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 the FIU Football Stadium.
 
About FIU: Florida International University is recognized as a Carnegie engaged university. It is a public research university with colleges and schools that offers 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 contributes $9.8 billion each year to the local economy. FIU is Worlds Ahead in finding solutions to the most challenging problems of our time. FIU emphasizes research as a major component of its mission. FIU has awarded over 200,000 degrees and enrolls more than 54,000 students in two campuses and three centers including FIU Downtown on Brickell, FIU@I-75, and the Miami Beach Urban Studios. FIU also supports artistic and cultural engagement through its three museums: the Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum, the Wolfsonian-FIU, and the Jewish Museum of Florida-FIU. FIU is a member of Conference USA and has over 400 student-athletes participating in 18 sports. For more information about FIU, visit http://www.fiu.edu/.