MIAMI (March 7, 2015) – The FIU softball team (15-10, 0-2 C-USA) dropped both ends of a double header to the Marshall Thundering Herd, first falling 13-5 before turning around and falling, 13-3.
GAME ONE: MARSHALL 13, FIU 5Junior
Corinne Jenkins (8-6) only lasted 2.2 innings before surrendering the ball to sophomore
Brianna Bartuccio. Jenkins fanned two while allowing seven earned runs, while Bartuccio retired one to go along with six earned runs.
Jenkins tossed a quick, 1-2-3 top of the first inning, ringing up Marshall's Morgan Zerkle, who entered the weekend with C-USA's second-highest batting average, to start the game. The Herd came back to plate four in the top of the second. After loading the bases with one out, Kylie Howard cleared the base paths with a double to deep left field.
With two on in the top of the third, Marshall put the game out-of-reach following a three-run home run by the Herd's Raquel Escareno. Dixon took her no-hitter into the fourth inning until senior
Rebekah Sanchez singled back up the middle. The Panthers were eventually able to load the bases, courtesy of two free passes from Marshall. Senior
Shelby Graves drew a four-pitch walk to plate Sanchez, while a wild pitch pushed across the Panthers' second run. Junior
Aleima Lopez singled past the diving second baseman and plated two on the hit, as an error scored Graves from second.
Following a three hour and 20 minute rain delay, the Herd plated four more runs during its final trip to the plate. Sophomore
Gabby Spallone, who made solid contact all night, plated FIU's final run off a sacrifice fly.
GAME TWO: MARSHALL 13, FIU 3Graves (4-4) got tagged with the loss, lasting 6.1 innings before handing the game over to freshman
Rachel Dwyer.
A team built off speed, the Herd was able to manufacture the game's first run off a sacrifice fly, following Morgan Zerkle's lead-off infield single and stolen base. The first three in the FIU lineup reached base in the bottom half, as a Marshall error gifted the Panthers its first score. A 6-3 groundout by senior
Krystal Garcia pushed across the Panthers second run of the inning.
Marshall tied the game off Shaelynn Braxton's lead-off home run in the fourth inning, while a two-RBI single to left field by pinch hitter Alyssa Woodrum spotted the Herd a 4-2 advantage. Graves tallied the Panthers' first hit of the night to lead off the fourth inning and the Panthers eventually went on to load the bases off two freebies but stranded three in the frame.
Graves helped herself in the fifth inning and cut the FIU deficit to three runs. With two on base, she roped a double down the right field line to bring across sophomore
Stephanie Texeira. The Panthers struggled to get any offense going all night, as they went on to strand two in the bottom of the sixth.
The Panthers' wheels fell off in the top of the seventh, as three errors allowed for even runs to come
FIU and Marshall close out the series tomorrow with a nationally televised matinee. First pitch on FOX Sports will be at 1:03 p.m. ET from Felsberg Field at FIU Softball Stadium.
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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/.
