MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — FIU's softball program secured its fourth-straight win with a 5-4 victory over Middle Tennessee in nine innings in Conference USA (CUSA) action on Thursday night.
The Panthers (33-16, 15-10 CUSA) defeated the Blue Raiders (20-29, 6-19 CUSA) with a clutch two-out hit from Paige Miller that scored Kennedy Byrd for the go-ahead run in the ninth inning. J'dah Girigorie (W, 9-6) then retired the side in order in the bottom half to finish off the extra-inning win for the Panthers.
Girigorie excelled in relief of starter Brooke McNichols, allowing just one earned run and three hits in 4.2 innings while striking out nine batters on just 59 pitches. Kennedy Byrd paced the FIU offense with a 2-for-2 evening and two RBI, hitting her 12th homer of the season, a solo shot in the fifth. As a team, FIU's offense had 12 hits and walked four times.
Following a scoreless first inning from both teams, Isabella Perez provided an RBI groundout to put FIU up 1-0. Byrd hit a sacrifice fly later in the inning to give the Panthers a 2-0 advantage after two innings.
MTSU responded, however, with solo homers in the third and fourth to tie the game up at 2-all after four innings. Byrd's solo homer in the fifth gave the Panthers a lead briefly, but a two-run bottom half put the Blue Raiders ahead for the first time, leading 4-3 after their half of the fifth.
In the next frame, Kaleena Downing delivered a squeeze bunt, scoring Zamya McBurrows to tie the game at 4-all, setting the stage for extra innings. Girigorie allowed just one baserunner from the sixth inning on and struck out the side in the eighth.
Miller then stepped to the dish in the ninth with two outs and two on and chopped a ball out of the infield for an RBI single to give FIU the lead for good. Girigorie then finished it off with a 1-2-3 ninth to secure the series opening victory.
UP NEXT
FIU takes on MTSU tomorrow, Friday, May 1, at 5 p.m. for Game Two of the series.
BAPTIST HEALTH
The 2026 FIU Softball season is presented by Baptist Health, The Official Sports Medicine Provider of FIU Athletics.
SOCIAL MEDIA
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