MIAMI (Feb. 19, 2016) -- FIU softball extended its win streak to six games by winning both of its games in day one of the Panther Invitational, beating Holy Cross 7-0 and later Indiana 5-2 at Felsberg Field at FIU Softball Stadium Friday.

FIU is now 6-1 on the season. Holy Cross falls to 0-2, while Indiana is 3-4.

GAME ONE
Freshman Abby Summers (Weston, Missouri) tossed six shutout innings and the Panthers cranked out 13 hits to take out Holy Cross in the late afternoon game of the Invitational. The Panthers scored a run in the first and never looked back in the shutout win, their first of the season. 

Shortstop Ashley Belans (Hollywood, Florida / American Heritage HS) had a 3-for-3 game at the plate, while center fielder Gabby Spallone (Miami, Florida / Palmetto) drove in a game-high two RBI in the win.

Four other Panthers drove in runs, while second baseman Ashley Leon (Miami, Florida / Auburn University) was the lone player to score more than one run in the game, coming home twice.

Summers is 2-0, the first Panther pitcher to have multiple wins this season.

GAME TWO
FIU and Indiana provided the best game of the day, with three lead changes and two ties.

The Hoosiers scored in the first inning on a walk, a hit, a hit batter and a wild pitch for the 1-0 lead.

The Panthers tied the game with a two-out solo home run to left from catcher Aleima Lopez (Deltona, Florida / Deltona HS). It was her first of the season and the third different FIU Panther to hit a ball out of Felsberg Field this season.

Indiana reclaimed the lead in the top of the third when Shannon Cawley doubled to left center with two outs and came around to score on a single through the right side of the infield for the RBI.
 
That 2-1 Hoosier lead held until the bottom of the fifth. FIU got back-to-back one-out singles from Leon and Schoff before a walk to Stephanie Texeira (Miami, Florida / Gulliver Prep) loaded the bases. Leon scored on a wild pitch and Spallone doubled into the left field corner to clear the bases and break the two-all tie.

FIU got an insurance run after freshman Deven Kennedy (Montgomery, Alabama) tripled and later scored on a Schoff RBI single through the middle for the final run.

Junior transfer Hunter Scharf (Lake Worth, Florida / Grandview Prep) came on in relief of starter Corinne Jenkins and secured her first win as a Panther. She pitched the final 3.2 innings, striking out two and allowing just one hit in the game. 

For the day, Leon was 4-for-8, to take over the team lead for hits, while Spallone drove in four runs.

FIU will play the final two games of day two of the Invitational, with scheduled games against Delaware (4 p.m.) and Holy Cross (6:30 p.m.) in the four-game day.
 
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/.