MIAMI (March 9, 2016) -- The FIU Panthers softball program got tangled up with No. 20/23 Notre Dame for the first of two games Wednesday, dropping game one 17-8 on Felsberg Field at the FIU Softball Stadium. The Panthers collected 15 hits against Notre Dame, but seven Panthers errors led to 11 unearned runs for the visitor.
 
FIU slips to 14-9 on the season, while Notre Dame improves to 17-3, winners of 13 in a row. The two teams will get game two underway shortly.
 
The two teams score on average 12 runs per game combined and the opening game saw plenty of run production in the first of the twinbill. Eight runs was the most scored by FIU in a loss since an 11-10 loss at UTEP last April 11.
 
The Irish got on the board quickly with two runs before the Panthers' bats could even get started. ND got an RBI groundout ahead of a homer to left by Caitlyn Brooks for a 2-0 lead.
 
In the bottom half, junior Ashley Leon (Miami, Florida / Gulliver Prep) walked, stole second and scored on a Gabby Spallone (Miami, Florida / Palmetto HS) single up the middle to cut the lead in half, 2-1.
 
A pair of Panthers errors in the second allowed three unearned runs to score against freshman pitcher Abby Summers (Weston, Missouri) and Notre Dame made the lead 5-1.
 
Spallone drove in the Panthers' second run as well, with a two-out RBI single to bring home sophomore Jessica Hallett (Phoenix, Arizona), who was hit by a pitch with one out in the frame.
 
Hallett's bat made a difference in the third, when her single up the middle scored catcher Kaitlyne Musa (Miami, Florida / West Minster Christian), who reached via a double to left. The Panthers closed that lead to two runs, 5-3.
 
Notre Dame struck gold again in the top of the fourth frame with two more runs, one on another RBI groundout and another on a fielding error to stretch the lead out to a comfortable 7-3.
 
Leon and Spallone stroked back-to-back singles with one out in the fourth, with Leon scoring on a wild pitch for a run in each of the first innings, but a 7-4 deficit.
 
The Panthers got the bases loaded in the fifth, but could not score, leaving three of their 10 left on base in the game.
 
Notre Dame finally pulled away with five more runs in the sixth. A two-out, bases-loaded single to center scored two runs, which was followed by a three-run homer to left by Casey Africano.
 
The Panthers fought off the run-rule loss with three runs in the sixth. Spallone started the frame with a triple to, scoring on an infield error which allowed redshirt junior designated player Dani Mowry (Cocoa, Florida / Space Coast HS) to reach. Musa then beat out an infield single to second with two outs for sophomore right fielder Erin Eiland (Gainesville, Florida / Buchholz HS), who doubled in two runs with a ball down the left field line and a 12-7 score.
 
The Fighting Irish poured salt in the wound with five more runs in the seventh, thanks to two more FIU errors, allowing four of the runs to be unearned.
 
Spallone drove in her third run of the game on an RBI groundout in the seventh for the game's final score.
 
Spallone collected four hits and drove in three, both team-high totals for the Panthers. Six different Panthers scored runs, with Leon and Musa scoring twice.
 
The Panthers used four pitchers in the game, with Summers taking the loss (5-2). She was charged with five runs, just two earned, in two innings. She recorded one strikeouts and one hit batter, allowing four hits.
 
Notre Dame starter Allie Rhodes got the win to improve to 8-2. She tossed four innings, allowing half of the Panthers' runs. Brooks got her first save of the season.
 
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/.