MIAMI — FIU's softball program continued its winning ways on Sunday to wrap up the Felsberg Invitational, downing Power Four-opponent Louisville for the second time this weekend.
The Panthers (6-0) completed an undefeated opening weekend at their home invite in style, securing another win over ACC-member Louisville. FIU rallied from a two-run deficit with a four-run fourth inning, of which propelled the Panthers to an 8-5 win. J'dah Girigorie picked up her second save of the season, tossing a crucial scoreless seventh inning to finish off the result. Kennedy Byrd (2-0) earned the win, pitching 3.1 innings in relief of starter Meagan Villazon.
Offensively, Janelle Martinez led the effort with three RBI and a run scored. Paige Miller had a three-hit game in four at-bats, scoring twice. Byrd added two hits and two runs scored as well. Leah Clark knocked out two hits, continuing the hot start to her Panther career.
FIU ended the tournament as the lone undefeated team, marking the first time that the Panthers have gone unblemished at the Felsberg Invitational since 2021 and just the second time since the Felsberg Invitational's inception in 2014.
The Panthers started fast with two second-inning runs, capped by a Miller RBI single, to go ahead 2-0. Louisville responded immediately in the third with two runs of their own to even the score at two-all. The Cardinals pushed across two more in the fourth, taking their first lead of the day, 4-2.
FIU's bats came alive in the bottom half of the frame, however, as the Panthers used a four-run fourth to take a 6-4 lead. In the frame, FIU loaded the bases early before the Cardinals walked in Martinez and Kendall Catherwood, tying the score at 6-all. Kally Meredith gave the Panthers the lead once again with a slow chopper to the pitcher, which was mishandled and then thrown away, plating both Martinez and pinch-runner Cayce Kavakich.
The Panthers then extended their lead to 8-4 in the fifth as Martinez came through again in the clutch. With the bases loaded, she produced a two-RBI single to provide insurance for FIU, scoring Miller and Byrd.
In the Cardinals' half of the sixth, they managed one run off Byrd via a sacrifice fly, but she was able to escape unscathed from there. Girigorie slammed the door shut with a 1-2-3 seventh, capping a momentous first weekend as a Panther in which she registered two wins and two saves.
UP NEXT
FIU will head to the University of Florida next weekend, Feb. 13-15, for UF's home tournament. The Panthers will face Marshall and Georgia Tech twice and have one meeting with host-Florida.
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