DENTON, Texas (April 2, 2016) -- The FIU softball team (20-17, 6-5 C-USA) claimed its weekend series with the Mean Green, taking both games of Saturday's doubleheader against North Texas (18-15, 3-5 C-USA).
The Panthers recorded a 3-1 win in game one, allowing only three hits, and a 6-0 shutout in game two, allowing only two hits.
GAME ONE The Panthers put up the first run of the day in the top of the first with an unearned run by junior
Dani Mowry (Cocoa, Fla. / Space Coast HS). Mowry reached base after being hit by a pitch. Freshman
Deven Kennedy (Montgomery, Ala. / Macon East Academy HS) sent a fly ball to left field. However, the routine fly ball was dropped by the Mean Green leftfielder, allowing Mowry to score.
In the top of the third, freshman
Jackie Schoff (Bradenton, Fla. / Lakewood Ranch HS) got aboard with a single to left field. Schoff then stole her team-leading 12th base of the season, and later junior
Stephanie Texeira (Miami, Fla. / Gulliver Prep HS) hit a sacrifice fly to left field to bring Schoff home.
North Texas recorded their lone run of the day in the bottom of the third with an RBI-double.
In the seventh, the Panthers squeezed one more run in with an RBI by junior
Gabby Spallone (Miami, Fla. / Miami Palmetto HS). Spallone grounded out to second, but not before Schoff could record her second run of the game.
Senior
Corinne Jenkins (Sarasota, Fla. / Riverview HS) threw a seven-inning complete game, allowing only three hits and a run. Jenkins collected nine strikeouts, a season high for the veteran pitcher.
The Panthers recorded nine hits with only one error for the game, but left eight baserunners stranded.
GAME TWOThe Panthers outplayed North Texas with nine hits in the nightcap, while the Mean Green recorded just two and racked up three errors.
FIU wasted no time in putting runs up on the board as Spallone hit an RBI double deep to left center, bringing in junior
Ashley Leon (Miami, Fla. / Auburn), who had reached base via a walk.
In the top of the third, the Panthers fed off the Mean Green errors, scoring three runs. Senior
Dominique Grossman (Miami, Fla. / Gulliver Prep HS) singled to short and advanced to second off a throwing error. Grossman eventually scored off an RBI-single through the middle by Texeira. Later in the frame, Mowry and sophomore
A.J. Belans (Hollywood, Fla. / American Heritage HS) hit back-to-back RBI-singles to bring Spallone and Texeria home, closing the inning 4-0.
Belans recorded her fifth homerun of the season in the sixth inning, and Texeira followed in the top of the seventh with her ninth homer of the season, both over the center field wall.
Starting freshman pitcher
Megan Kugelmann (Merritt Island, Fla. / Cocoa Beach HS) allowed two hits and two walks for the game, throwing 3.2 innings. Freshman
Abby Summers (Weston, Mo.) recorded the win, improving her record to 6-5. Summers did not give up a hit and allowed two walks in her 3.1 innings pitched.
The Panthers return to action tomorrow afternoon as they try to sweep the series. First pitch is slated for noon Eastern.
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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/.
