Florida Atlantic University Athletics
Florida Atlantic
Auburn
Owls Split on Sunday
3/5/2006 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 5, 2006
Boca Raton, FL - Florida Atlantic University split day two of the Florida Atlantic University Pepsi Cola Classic Softball Tournament with a 5-3 victory over Auburn, ranked no. 20 nationally, and an extra inning 5-4 loss to Boston College, Sunday afternoon.
The day began with Auburn taking the first game from BC 9-3. FAU (6-10) then took the field and looked as if the Tigers would control the game. That was until the sixth when the momentum shifted and FAU took advantage of every opportunity.
Auburn scored in the bottom half of the first when Kristina McCain led off the bottom of the first for Auburn with a walk. She used a wide pitch and a fielders choice to move to third and was driven in by a Sara Ghezzi single that got just past a diving Danielle Arriaga at short.
The Tigers scored twice more, with no hits, in the bottom of the second taking advantage of three walks and an error.
FAU held Auburn scoreless the next two innings and got just the second hit of the game on a Melissa Moore one-out double over the left fielder's head. Moore was forced to watch the next two batters go down by strikeouts.
The Owls' bats came alive in he top of the sixth. Shauna Corso hit a one-out single up the middle and then saw pitcher Jen Musillo help her cause with a walk. Musillo gave way to pinch runner Marlene Lopez. Corso then drove in by Becky Brandies and Lopez followed on a single by Lauren Crandall. Melissa Moore followed in the game-breaking inning with a walk to place runners on first and second but both would advance on a wild pitch. Charlotte Baird, the no. nine hitter, hit a Texas league RBI single to right and moved to second on the throw.
FAU returned to the top of the order with two outs and holding a one run lead. Jessica Sachs loaded the bases by drawing a walk and saw Jenna Lopez came to the plate for the second time in the inning, only to face a new pitcher Beth DiPietro, who defeated FAU the previous night. Lopez hit a seeing-eye single up the middle that scored one but Auburn closed out the inning on FAU attempting to score two on the play.
The Owls were held scoreless and hitless in the top of the seventh. And, did the same to the Tigers in the bottom half of the inning ending the game on a traditional double play to improve to 6-9 on the season. Musillo improved to 3-1 on the year with the seven inning complete game victory.
Game two for the Owls moved quickly through three innings with both teams managing just two hits each. FAU jumped onto the scoreboard in the fourth with two runs.
With one out second baseman Kala Guy hit a single and later scored on a Becky Brandies double, her third of the year. Brandies would then score the second run of the inning by beating a throw home on a Christine Houghtaling RBI single to left.
Kathryn Stauffer returned to the mound for a scoreless sixth. BC threatened with a one-out and a two-out single, but Stauffer pitched her way out of the jam.
In the bottom of the sixth, it was all freshmen for the Owls. Brandies hit a two-out double and then scored on a double by Bukovich to give FAU an insurance run. Houghtaling kept the inning alive with a walk allowing freshman Vanessa Suarez to single in Bukovich for the 4-0 score.
BC tied the game in the top half of the seventh behind four hits including a bases loaded double to left. FAU had a walk and a single by Guy but did not score in the bottom half of the inning forcing the game into a tie-breaker format.
A BC runner was placed on second, sacrificed to third by the lead-off hitter and scored on a Amanda Booth single two right.
FAU, playing under the same format, would look to the freshmen portion of the line-up to hope to score. Brandies was placed on second. Bukovich sacrificed Brandies to third. Attempting to score on a fielders choice the second out of the inning was at home and BC then closed the book for the victory on the next batter.
FAU will next face Boston University in a doubleheader on Tuesday evening.
