MIAMI (April 18, 2015) – The FIU softball team (26-22, 7-13 C-USA) dropped a pair against the league's top team, the Western Kentucky Lady Toppers, Saturday afternoon from Felsberg Field at FIU Softball Stadium.
 
WKU 11, FIU 0
Freshman Rachel Dwyer (3-3) got the start in the circle for FIU and had a strong first inning before running into trouble in the second frame. Sophomore Brianna Bartuccio pitched the final 3.1 innings for the Panthers and gave up three earned runs.
 
The Lady Toppers manufactured a tough first run in the top of the first inning off a bloop single that fell in no-man's land in right field. WKU added four runs to its lead in the second inning off Danielle Pugh's third grand slam this season.
 
Senior Shelby Graves worked a two-out walk in the bottom of the second to grant FIU its first base runner of the game, but the Lady Toppers' hurler Miranda Kramer retired the Panthers' next batter to end the inning. A fielding error in the top of the third opened the gate for four more WKU runs, as the Lady Toppers lead 9-0 after three complete frames.
 
Sophomore Ashley Leon hustled out a fielding error down the first base line to reach safely in FIU's half of the third inning, but two Kramer strikeouts in the inning wiped the Panthers' chance. Bartuccio settled down in the fourth inning and retired WKU in order, while Kramer returned the favor in the bottom half of the fourth.
 
Freshman Ashley Belans broke up Kramer's no-hit bid in the fifth inning with a one-out single through the right side, but that would be all for FIU in the shortened game.
 
WKU 6, FIU 0
Junior Corinne Jenkins (16-9) looked to rebound for the Panthers in the night cap, as she tossed her 41^st-career complete game but was tagged with loss in a four-strikeout effort.
 
Jenkins tossed an easy first inning, as the righty picked up her first strikeout of the game, while sophomore Stephanie Texeira flashed some leather at first base for the inning's third out. The Panthers' sophomore tandem of Texeira and Gabby Spallone each singled with one out in FIU's first trip to the plate, but both would be stranded.
 
The Lady Toppers tallied the game's first run in the second inning off an RBI double by Shawna Salder and finished the frame with three runs following some two-out damage. WKU threatened again in the third inning, but Jenkins shut the door with two on base to keep the deficit at 3-0.
 
Singles by Leon and junior Aleima Lopez, along with Spallone's fielder's choice, loaded the bases for FIU in the third inning and put the Panthers in good position to score, but a close call in the base path between second and third resulted in a tag-out, which ended the threat.
 
Jenkins hurled a quick two outs to open the fourth inning before a hit batter put a base runner on for the Lady Toppers. A grounder to Belans at short got the Panthers out of the inning, but WKU was able to plate three runs its next turn at the plate in the fifth inning.
 
The Panthers' defense kept WKU from adding its seventh run in the top of the sixth inning. Spallone ran down a double in center field and a hit the cutoff before Belans mowed down the runner at home with freshman Kaitlyne Musa applying the tag.
 
The Panthers and Lady Toppers close the three-game series tomorrow at 1 p.m.
 
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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/.