Upcoming Event: Softball versus FIU on April 15, 2026 at 6:00 PM
6:00 PM
Softball
vs. FIU
Florida Atlantic University Athletics
Saturday, May 19
Tallahassee, Fla.
6:00 PM ET
Florida Atlantic
0
at
2
Florida State
Softball Falls to FSU
5/19/2001 12:00:00 AM | Softball
May 19, 2001
TALLAHASSEE, FL -
Florida Atlantic University's bid to advance to its first NCAA Regional championship game fell short Saturday evening in a 2-0 loss to Florida State in Tallahassee, FL. The loss ends FAU's season at 46-21 while FSU advances to play California in Sunday's regional final.
FSU (57-11) wasted little time in scoring as Jessica van der Linden doubled home Serita Brooks with one out in the first inning to take a 1-0 lead. They held that advantage until the sixth when Natalie Bennett reached on a fielding error and scored on the play as the ball sailed down the right field line.
Meanwhile, FSU's Leslie Malerich (26-3) gave up just two hits in the complete-game shutout. FAU's first scoring threat came in the third when Ninya Ybarra led off with a single before being stranded at second base. In the fifth, pinch-runner Jaime Melton was picked off at second base with two outs before FAU's final opportunity came in the seventh before Amy Bellisari grounded into an inning-ending double play.
"If you can't hit and score, you can't win," said FAU head coach Joan Joyce. "This is how our season has gone. You can't expect a pitcher to keep throwing and throwing, hoping to catch a break."
Nicole Myers (26-13) started for the Lady Owls. She allowed two runs, one earned, on four hits while striking out seven. She finished the season with a team-record 403 strikeouts. She was also named to the All-Regional team after pitching three complete-games and allowing just three earned runs.
The loss completes a season in which FAU won its fifth straight Trans America Athletic Conference Championship and appeared in the NCAA Tournament for the third consecutive season.
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