MIAMI (March 14, 2016) -- Following its weekend sweep of Conference USA foe Charlotte, the FIU Panthers softball program will host its final midweek opponent, with Rutgers heading to Felsberg Field at the FIU Softball Stadium for a 5 p.m. doubleheader. FIU is 17-10 overall on the season, with the Scarlet Knights sitting at 9-14.
 
The Panthers played six games last week, finishing 4-2. Junior Gabby Spallone (Miami, Florida / Palmetto HS) collected 10 hits for the week, batting .500 in the six games. The Panthers hit four home runs in the series against Charlotte to open league play. On Saturday, FIU hit a pair of two-run home runs in the bottom of the fifth to win a run-rule game, 8-0 over the 49ers, who were receiving votes in the USA Today/NFCA poll. It was Charlotte's first run-rule loss of the season. The first homer in the inning was the second of the year by junior Dani Mowry (Cocoa, Florida / Space Coast HS) and it was followed later by the first career blast and a walkoff homer from sophomore Erin Eiland (Gainesville, Florida / Buchholz HS). The last two home runs by the Panthers came in the Sunday game, both by sophomore shortstop A.J. Belans (Hollywood, Florida / American Heritage HS), who collected three of the four RBI in the 4-2 series win.
 
For her 2-0 week, adding a first-career save, freshman Megan Kugelmann (Merritt Island, Florida / Cocoa Beach HS) earned Conference USA Co-Pitcher of the Week. It was the third week in a row in which she has been honored by the league. Senior pitching teammate Corinne Jenkins (Sarasota, Florida / Sarasota HS) recorded two wins over the 49ers, giving up just two earned runs in 12 innings
 
Rutgers heads to Miami fresh off an appearance at Florida Atlantic's Parent's Weekend Tournament, winning three of their five games in Boca Raton. The Scarlet Knights blanked Massachusetts in their last game of the weekend Sunday. Rutgers is spending Spring Break week in the Sunshine State, heading to Clearwater for the Spring Break Tournament at USF beginning Friday.
 
The Panthers will play their first conference road series this weekend, at WKU, starting Saturday.
 
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/.