BOWLING GREEN, Ky. -- The FIU softball team got the bats heated up in the cold and rainy start to the spring as the Panthers slugged past the host WKU Lady Toppers 16-7 in five innings to win the Conference USA series finale Sunday at the WKU Softball Complex. The run total by the Panthers is a season high, and the most for FIU since a 16-9 win at home over UAB on April 2. FIU's 12 RBI are also a season-high total.

The win ends a four-game skid for the Panthers and improves their record to 18-14 overall, 4-2 in Conference USA. WKU is now 10-13 overall, 2-1 in C-USA.

FIU jumped on the Lady Toppers from the start. In the top of the first, back-to-back singles put runners at first and second for the team's RBI leader, junior Stephanie Texeira (Miami, Florida / Gulliver Prep), who doubled over the right fielder to drive in the first run. A sacrifice fly from junior center fielder Gabby Spallone (Miami, Florida / Palmetto HS) made it 2-0 for the first out. After a walk, sophomore shortstop A.J. Belans (Hollywood, Florida / American Heritage) doubled to right center to plate two more runs. The next two Panthers reached via hit batter and walk to load the bases for senior catcher Aleima Lopez (Deltona, Florida / Deltona HS), who singled through the right side of the infield to drive in two more and cap off the scoring for a 6-0 lead.

WKU was able to get two runs across in the bottom of the first on a double, two walks, a wild pitch and a sacrifice fly. The eight-run first was the highest-scoring inning of the weekend.
 
FIU put up five more in the third. Belans walked to start the inning and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt for senior right fielder Dominique Grossman (Miami, Florida / Gulliver Prep / Georgia Southern Univ.), who singled through the middle to score Belans and push the Panthers to a 7-2 lead. Lopez and freshman left fielder Jackie Schoff (Bradenton, Florida / Lakewood Ranch) hit back-to-back singles to load the bases, before an error, a sacrifice fly from Texeira and another error scored three more runs for the nine-run margin.
 
With one out in the bottom of the third, the Lady Toppers got a double, an RBI single and a two-run homer to left from Kelsey McGuffin to pull it to within six runs, at 11-5.
 
The Panthers loaded the bases in the fourth with two hits and a walk. An illegal pitch scored a run and a walk loaded the bases again for Leon, who cleared them with a double to left center and a 15-5 lead.
 
The Lady Toppers plated two runs in the bottom half on a hit batter, a walk and a two-RBI double for a 15-7 score.
 
An RBI triple by designated player Kaitlyne Musa (Miami, Florida / West Minster Christian) plated the Panthers' final run of the day in the top of the fifth, scoring from Belans from first after she walked.
 
Freshman pitcher Megan Kugelmann (Merritt Island, Florida / Cocoa Beach HS) got the win in relief to improve her record to 6-2. She tossed the last 2.2 innings, allowing two earned runs on three hits and a walk. She struck out one hitter.
 
Five Panthers collected two hits, with Leon's three RBI leading the charge. Belans had two hits and two walks to score a team season-high four runs in the game.
 
FIU will host UTEP next weekend in a home C-USA series. The Friday doubleheader will start at 4 p.m. Eastern and the Easter-weekend series ends 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/.