MIAMI (March 10, 2017) -- After winning with an offensive showcase in the first game back home early Friday, the FIU Panthers softball squad won with pitching and defense in the nightcap, defeating Fordham 4-2 at Felsberg Field at FIU Softball Stadium. The win gave FIU a five-game winning streak and a 19-6 overall record. Fordham, which had won nine in a row, including this morning over Rutgers, falls to 16-5 on the season. The Rams received votes in this week's national polls.
 
"We are playing well," said FIU Head Coach Gator Rebhan after the two games. "We are hitting. We are playing defense. I think the key is that the girls are just playing relaxed and having fun.
 
The Panthers got on the board quickly with back-to-back RBI doubles from junior designated player Kasandra Castle (Lake Worth, Florida / Palm Beach Central HS) and redshirt senior Dani Mowry (Cocoa, Florida / Space Coast HS) for a 2-0 lead. 
 
The Rams answered back with a solo home run from pitcher Lauren Quense in the top of the second, her second of the season, to tighten the contest.
 
Both pitching staffs and defenses went to work, leaving runners on the bases with key strikeouts or defensive gems.
 
FIU added insurance runs in the fourth and fifth innings. After freshman third baseman Jocelin Soto (Oxnard, California) doubled with one out, a flyout advanced her to third and a throwing error on the relay allowed her to make the game 3-1 Panthers. 
 
An infield single by sophomore center fielder Jackie Schoff (Bradenton, Florida / Lakewood Ranch HS) turned into another unearned run on a two-out throwing error for the 4-1 lead.
 
Fordham closed to within two with another solo home run, to center from first baseman Madison Shaw, her sixth of the season, but the Rams left seven on base in the contest in the loss.
 
The win went to freshman Shannon Saile (Land O'Lakes, Florida / Land O'Lakes HS), who evened her season record to 5-5. She pitched 5.2 innings, scattering four hits and six walks. She struck out six Rams. Sophomore Abby Summers (Weston, Missouri), who got the win in FIU's first game of the day against Rutgers, recorded the four-out save, her second of the season. She struck out one batter.
 
Soto was the only player for either team with two hits in the game. FIU had six hits and Fordham recorded four. All six runs in the game came from six different players and no player had more than one RBI in the contest.
 
The win streak is the third of the season of four-or-more games for FIU.
 
The Panthers host Fairfield for a doubleheader Saturday, beginning at 1 p.m.

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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/.