MIAMI (March 8, 2016) -- The FIU softball team (14-8) pushed their win-streak to three in a row after defeating East Carolina, 7-3, during a Tuesday night matchup on Felsberg Field at the FIU Softball Stadium.
 
The game was scoreless until the bottom of the third, when the Panthers put up the first runs of the game with a two RBI-single to right center by junior Gabby Spallone (Miami, Fla. / Miami Palmetto HS), which brought home senior Ashley Leon (Miami, Fla. / Gulliver HS) and freshman Jackie Schoff (Bradenton, Fla. / Lakewood Ranch). Junior A.J. Belans (Hollywood, Fla. / American Heritage HS) hit an RBI single up the middle, which sent Spallone home, and closed the inning with a 3-0 lead.
 
In the fourth inning, senior Dominique Grossman (Miami, Fla.) hit a double to right center; she later scored off a wild pitch. Schoff took a walk and got all the way around to third off another wild pitch by the Pirates. An RBI-single up the middle by Leon scored Schoff.
 
After allowing a second walk, the Pirates saw their second pitching change of the inning. Leon was able to take home on a successful double steal attempt. Junior Dani Mowry (Cocoa, Fla. / Space Coast) launched an RBI-double to left center, bringing home senior Aleima Lopez (Deltona, Fla. / Deltona HS). The Panthers then led 7-0.
 
East Carolina found its footing towards the end of the competition, scoring two runs in the sixth inning and one run in the seventh, including a homer to left field.
 
Freshman and back-to-back Conference USA Pitcher of the Week, Megan Kugelmann (Merritt Island, Florida / Cocoa Beach HS), improved her record to 3-1, allowing three runs and seven hits, walking three.
 
Pirates pitcher Lydia Richie took the loss, dropping her to 7-3.
 
The Panthers will return to action for a doubleheader on Wednesday, as they take on No. 21/25 Notre Dame on their home turf at 5 p.m.
 
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/.