Box Score MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (March 14, 2015) – With weather again playing a factor in the Panthers' schedule this season, the FIU softball team (17-10, 2-2 C-USA) was able to salvage one game of a double header, run-ruling the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders in five innings, 8-0, late Saturday evening.
 
Junior Corinne Jenkins (10-6) reached the 10-win mark off a five-hit, three-strikeout outing, picking up her ninth-career shutout and moving her within one of No. 4 all-time in program history. Sophomore Gabby Spallone paced the offense with a perfect night at the plate (3-for-3), which included two doubles and a game-high three RBI. Senior Shelby Graves (2-for-3,) drove in two RBI, while sophomore Ashley Leon registered another multi-hit game and went 2-for-3. Sophomore Stephanie Texeira walked in all three of her plate appearances.
 
The Panthers wasted no time providing Jenkins with run support, as FIU plated two in the first inning. Leon laid down a one-out bunt to reach and moved up 60-feet with a walk to Texeira. Spallone hustled out a dribbler to short stop to load the bases for junior Aleima Lopez, whose sacrifice fly to left field plated Leon. With two away and the bases loaded later in the inning, junior Dominique Grossman got hit by a pitch to force across the Panthers' second run.
 
Senior Krystal Garcia helped Jenkins erase a runners-on-the-corners scenario in the bottom half of the inning, as the third baseman traced to her left to register a tough 5-3 putout, which kept the Blue Raiders off the scoreboard.
 
Freshman Ashley Belans and senior Rebekah Sanchez led off a four-run second inning with sharp singles through the left side. After a passed ball plated Belans, Spallone doubled to left-center field to drive in two Panthers and up FIU's lead to 5-0. Graves upped the score to 6-0 off a groundout to short that plated Texeira.
 
After Jenkins retired Middle Tennessee 1-2-3 in the home half of the second inning, the Blue Raiders responded with a lead-off triple in the bottom of the third, but the runner would be stranded. Jenkins picked up a crucial strikeout for the first out, while Garcia held the runner honest just long enough for a 5-3 putout. Jenkins jammed the final batter to fly out to Leon at second base.
 
Following Texeira's third walk in as many plate appearances, Spallone continued a perfect night at the plate with her second double, which drove in Texeira from first and make it a 7-0 Panthers' lead. Graves then punched in Spallone on a double through the hole at short for an 8-0 advantage.
 
In a tight situation in the bottom of the fourth, Jenkins worked through two in scoring position to force a groundout to Belans at short to keep the shutout intact.
 
The Panthers and Blue Raiders will try and play two tomorrow, with first pitch beginning at 11 a.m. ET, while Sunday's originally scheduled 1 p.m. ET contest is expected to start on time as well.
 
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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/.