BOCA RATON, Fla. (March 12, 2017) -- Junior designated player Kasandra Castle (Lake Worth, Florida / Palm Beach Central HS) pushed an RBI single up the middle in the top of the seventh inning to break a two-all tie and FIU softball won its eighth-straight game, 4-2 over LIU Brooklyn, Sunday at FAU Softball Stadium in non-conference action. The win pushes FIU's record to 22-6, the school's best mark through 28 games. The eight-game win streak is the longest of the season for the Panthers. LIU slips to 12-11.
 
Three different Panthers drove in runs, while smart, aggressive baserunning provided opportunities for batters to get the runs for the win.
 
FIU scored first with two runs in the third inning, thanks to three-straight leadoff singles from redshirt senior Dani Mowry (Cocoa, Florida / Space Coast HS) and freshman shortstop Jessica Rivera (Miami, Florida / Guliver Prep) and freshman third baseman Jocelin Soto (Oxnard, California). Soto's single drove in Mowry for the game's first run, while heads-up baserunning from Rivera scored her from first on a throwing error by the Blackbirds.
 
LIU got an unearned run in the bottom half when a throwing error advanced a runner, who scored on an RBI single with two outs in the inning.
 
LIU then tied the game with a run in the bottom of the sixth after a leadoff double turned into a run after a wild pitch and a sacrifice fly for a 2-2 score.
 
FIU wasted no time retaking the lead. Leadoff batter Ashley Leon (Miami, Florida / Gulliver Prep) dribbled a single through a drawn-in infield, expecting a bunt. She noticed no fielder was covering second and sprinted her way into a double. Leon then ran her way out of trouble on a ground ball by senior Stephanie Texeira (Miami, Florida / Gulliver Prep). Leon distracted the fielders and elicited a throw, but escaped back to second in the rundown to put runners at first and second with no outs. Castle then bounced a ball through the middle to score Leon from second and Texeira eventually scored on a sacrifice fly from Rivera for the insurance run.
 
Freshman Shannon Saile (Land O'Lakes, Florida / Land O'Lakes HS) came on in relief of sophomore starter Abby Summers (Weston, Missouri) to get the win. Saile pitched two innings and retired all six batters, with two strikeouts, to improve her record to 7-5. Summers lasted five innings, scattering seven hits and allowing one earned run. She struck out two in the no-decision.
 
The loss went to LIU's Tallie Woodson. Three of the four runs were tagged to her, though two were earned, on 10 Panthers hits. She struck out one batter.
 
Four Panthers had two hits each of the team's 11 total, and all four runs came from different baserunners.
 
FIU will play at home Wednesday night, with a 7 p.m. scheduled first-pitch time against Fairfield.

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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/.