SAN ANTONIO, Texas – Sophomore Carmen Perez launched a pair of home runs and finished with three RBI in a 6-4 loss for the FIU softball team on Saturday afternoon in the second game of a three-game weekend set at UTSA.
 
Perez first blast was a solo shot in the third and tied the game at 1-1 after an RBI single by Ciarra Manta gave the Roadrunners a 1-0 edge in the top of the first.
 
Perez hit another solo homer in the fifth to make trim the UTSA advantage to 4-2.  The Roadrunners got a solo shot of their own from Erykah Guerrero and a two-run homer from Manta in the bottom of the fourth to account for the lead.
 
The Roadrunners stretched the lead to 6-2 on a two-run double by Emily Dear in the bottom of the fifth.
 
The Panthers tried to claw back in front with a single run both in the sixth, on a solo homer by sophomore Abigail Brown and when Madison Lewis drove home Perez on a fielder's choice in the seventh.
 
Alexys Lawson (4-10) took the loss for the Panthers after allowing five runs, four of which were earned and six hits over four innings. She struck out five and walked one.  Brooklynn Linneman pitched the final two innings and allowed one run and three hits.
 
Jamie Gilbert (6-7) picked up the victory with 6.1 innings of work that saw her allow four runs and eight hits. Tatum Seith earned the save with 0.2 innings of perfect relief.   
 
The loss drops the Panthers' record to 18-31 overall and 4-19 in the C-USA action.  UTSA moves to 18-28 on the season and 11-11 in league action.
 
UP NEXT:  The Panthers will conclude regular season and the three-game set at UTSA with a 1 p.m. ET first pitch on Sunday, May 8 vs. the Roadrunners.
 
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