RUSTON, La. – FIU senior Bailey Grossenbacher and sophomore Ella Whitney ripped back-to-back home runs in the top of the sixth inning to give the FIU softball team a lead in an eventual 3-2 win at Louisiana Tech in the final game of the series and doubleheader on Saturday afternoon.
 
Grossenbacher, who hit her team-leading seventh homer of the season and netted her team-high 30th RBI, put the Panthers in front 2-1 before Whitney followed with her first of the season to extend the lead to 3-1.
 
Louisiana Tech (31-20, 13-11 CUSA) attempted to rally in the bottom of the seventh as the first three batters to open the frame reached via a hit.  The Bulldogs scored a run when Kylie Neel was hit by a pitch which scored Katie Cooper from third to make the score 3-2.  FIU starter Sydney Birling then sat down the final three hitters to seal the win and strand all three remaining runners for La Tech.
 
Birling (5-6) tossed her first complete game of the season while earning the victory in the final start of her FIU career.  She limited the Bulldogs to two runs and seven hits over seven innings.
 
The game two win followed a 5-1 loss to the Bulldogs in the opener.
 
Louisiana Tech opened the scoring on an RBI single by Nicole Hammoude, making the score 1-0.
 
The Panthers managed to tie the score at 1-1 on a double by Casey Goguts, which scored Zamya McBurrows – who reached on an infield base hit.
 
The Bulldogs pulled away with a pair of runs in the second to take the lead for good at 3-1, before adding single runs in the fourth and sixth to account for the final margin.  Goguts tabbed a pair of hits to pace the Panthers in defeat.
 
UP NEXT
The Panthers will look towards the 2025 campaign beginning with the fall schedule this coming fall.
 
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.
 
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