MIAMI (March 25, 2015) – The FIU softball team (20-15) dropped a mid-week non-conference game to the No. 19/20 UCF Knights on Wednesday night, 8-3.
 
Senior Shelby Graves (4-8) tossed the first 3.1 innings and was tagged with the loss. Junior Corinne Jenkins came into the ballgame midway through the fourth inning and tossed the final 3.2 innings, striking out two.
 
A close call on a fielder's choice in the top of the first put the first two Knights on base, but Graves settled down to retire the next three batters with fly balls. UCF created the same scenario to begin the second inning and eventually manufactured two runs off sacrifice hits.
 
After forcing a quick two outs in the top of the third, the Knights were able to get the next two batters on base. An RBI single scored Kristen Foster from second base, as she just squeaked past a strong throw from center field by sophomore Gabby Spallone. Freshman Ashley Belans tagged Mackenzie Audas for the Panthers' first hit in the third inning, but she would be stranded.
 
Following a pitching change for FIU in the fourth, sophomore second baseman Ashley Leon made a fantastic play, ranging to shallow left field to dive for a fading line drive, prohibiting any runs from scoring. Jenkins got out of the inning by forcing a fly out to center field, leaving three left on with just one run allowed.
 
Junior Aleima Lopez laced a one-out single to left field in the home half of the fifth inning and advanced to second off junior Dominque Grossman's walk, but FIU would not be able to generate any runs from it.
 
The Panthers turned two to end the top of the sixth by way of a Jenkins strikeout and a 2-3-4 caught stealing at second base. Spallone roped a double to the wall in left-center field in the bottom of the frame for her team-leading 11^th time this season.
 
FIU rallied in the seventh, as Graves hustled to beat out a single, and FIU eventually put two in scoring position for Leon, who broke the shutout with an RBI single to right field. A walk to senior Rebekah Sanchez eventually loaded the bases for sophomore Stephanie Texeira, who drove in two more off a single to center field.
 
FIU resumes Conference USA actions this weekend, as the Panthers travel upstate for a three-game set with the Florida Atlantic Owls.
 
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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/.