MIAMI (March 18, 2017) -- Freshman Shannon Saile (Land O'Lakes, Florida / Land O'Lakes HS) struck out 11 batters and allowed just two hits in a complete-game effort as FIU softball won its 10^th-straight game, 8-3 over visiting North Texas in the Conference USA opener for FIU Saturday in game one of a doubleheader at Felsberg Field and FIU Softball Stadium. Redshirt senior Dani Mowry (Cocoa, Florida / Space Coast HS) hit her third homer of the season, a three-run shot in the first, as the Panthers improved to 24-6, 1-0 in C-USA.
 
The 24 wins through 30 games is a school record. NT falls to 14-11, 3-1 in conference.
 
Senior Stephanie Texeira (Miami, Florida / Gulliver Prep) broke the program's career record for runs scored, with her 137^th in the first inning. She came home on the Mowry home run after an RBI double in her first at bat.
 
NT scored an unearned run in the second and FIU posted two runs in the fifth with Texeira's RBI fielder's choice.
 
After two more unearned runs scored for NT in the sixth, the Panthers posted the final two runs of the game in the sixth. Freshman Tori Jones (Raymond, Mississippi) stole home as part of a double steal in the frame, while senior Ashley Leon (Miami, Florida / Gulliver Prep) singled in center fielder Jackie Schoff (Bradenton, Florida / Lakewood Ranch HS) with two outs for the eighth and final run.
 
Schoff finished with three hits and three runs, while Mowry's three RBI were tops on the squad.
 
Saile gave up just two hits, but walked a career-high nine. Her 11 strikeouts were one of her career high. She improved her record to 8-5, and she has six wins and a save in her last seven appearances.

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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/.