MIAMI – The FIU softball team were defeated in a pair of games against Middle Tennessee on Saturday afternoon after leading in each contest.
 
The Panthers let a 5-2 lead slip away in the opening contest as Middle Tennessee rallied with a run in the fourth and four in the seventh to escape with a 7-5 victory.
 
FIU (19-24, 5-12 CUSA) led game two 1-0 after one inning before the Blue Raiders responded with four unanswered runs to secure a 4-1 win.
 
Middle Tennessee (30-14, 9-7 CUSA) opened the scoring in game one on a RBI single by Riley Gilmore in the top of the first.
 
The Panthers answered in a big way in the bottom half of the first as freshman Ella Whitney and senior Madison Lewis delivered back-to-back home runs to open a 3-2 edge for FIU.  Whitney crushed a two-run shot to left before Lewis launched a solo shot to dead center.
 
Isabella Perez added a run-scoring single in the third to plate Alexis Ross and Perez scored four hitters later on a wild pitch to up the lead to 5-2.
 
The lead held until the seventh, when the Blue Raiders put together four runs on five hits and one FIU error.  Ansley Blevins provided the big blow with a two-RBI double to left center.
 
Brooke McNichols (7-4) was the losing pitcher for the Panthers after allowing five runs and eight hits in five innings of relief.
 
Claire Woods (2-1) earned the win in relief for the Blue Raiders after tossing four innings of relief and limiting the Panthers to no runs and a pair of hits.
 
FIU jumped out to a 1-0 lead in game two in the top of the first on an RBI single by Lewis. 
 
Middle Tennessee tied the game in the top of the second on a solo home tun by Julia Garcia before taking the lead for good with a pair of runs in the fourth – both of which came via sacrifice flies. 
 
Garcia finished the game a perfect 4-for-4 with two doubles, a home run and a single.
 
The Blue Raiders extended the lead to 4-1 on a run-scoring triple from Shelby Echols.

UP NEXT
The Panthers close out the weekend series on Sunday, April 23 in a 11 a.m. first pitch from Felsberg Field.
 
TICKETS
For more information on FIU Softball season and individual tickets, including student ticketing, call 305-FIU-GAME or visit the FIU Athletics Online Ticket Office.
 
SOCIAL MEDIA
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