Owls Win Fourth Straight at Belmont

Friday, April 14

Nashville, Tenn.

2:00 PM

Florida Atlantic

Belmont

4/14/2006 12:00:00 AM | Softball

April 14, 2006

NASHVILLE, TN - The Florida Atlantic University softball team completed its second consecutive sweep to push its win streak to four straight with 6-1 and 2-1 wins over Belmont on Friday at Aquinas Softball Field in Nashville, Tenn.

Game One: Florida Atlantic 6, Belmont 1

Final Stats

The offensive freight train continued to roll for Florida Atlantic in the opener against Belmont. After totaling 19 runs on 25 hits in a sweep of East Tennessee on Thursday, the Owls put up four runs on seven hits in the first three innings against the Bruins and ended with 13 hits in the game.

Florida Atlantic got on the scoreboard first, putting up two tallies in the second inning. A double from junior Mandie Fishback (Banks, Ore.) kicked off the inning and after back-to-back outs, a two-bagger off the bat of freshman Christine Houghtaling (Miami, Fla.) brought Fishback home.

Junior Charlotte Baird (Hendersonville, Tenn.) delivered an RBI single to plate Houghtaling. Baird was then cut down at third base while attempting to advance after the throw home struck Houghtaling and rolled to the backstop.

Senior Jessica Sachs (Chestnut Ridge, N.Y.) opened the third with a single and after a stolen base and passed base, became the first of two to score in the inning with when junior Jenna Lopez (Orangeburg, N.Y.) singled to center. Junior Shauna Corso (Seal Beach, Calif.) reached on a fielder's choice that forced Lopez, moved up on a single by senior Danielle Arriaga (Miami, Fla.) and eventually scored on an RBI knock into center by freshman Kala Guy (Hollywood, Fla.).

The Owl bats were far from silent for the rest of the game. FAU could not take advantage of a two-out, bases-loaded situation in the sixth but a two-RBI double by Guy in the seventh complimented a string of three straight singles and scored Arriaga and Fishback with the game's final runs.

Guy ended the game with a career-high three hits, including her second career double, and matched her career high with three RBIs. Fishback scored twice, pushing her total to six runs in the first three games of the trip to Tennessee.

Junior Jen Musillo (Tequesta, Fla.), making her first start since March 24, went the distance, striking out six and giving up four hits. Belmont's lone run came on a home run in the sixth as Musillo ended a personal four-game losing streak to even her mark at 6-6 on the year.

The Owls totaled double digits in hits for the third consecutive game, getting seven against starter Chelsea Rae Goodwin (5-8) and six more against reliever Jennifer Batte. Goodwin was tagged for four earned runs in three innings.

Game Two: Florida Atlantic 2, Belmont 1

Final Stats

The Florida Atlantic offense cooled off but the result was still same as the Owls won their fourth consecutive game. Jenna Lopez collected two hits and scored a run.

Florida Atlantic responded to a Belmont run in the third with a pair in the fourth. After Lopez reached on an error and stole second, a bunt single by Corso put runners on first and third with no outs.

Arriaga and Guy brought both runners home with consecutive sacrifice flies to make a winner of starter Meghan Doonan (Wallingford, Conn.). Doonan scattered seven hits and struck out four in moving to 5-1 on the year.

FAU is now 10-0 all-time against the Bruins.

Florida Atlantic (21-21, 8-4 A-Sun) is scheduled to wrap up the Tennessee road trip at Lipscomb University in Atlantic Sun Conference play on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. EDT. GameTracker will not be available for Saturday's games.

FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY SOFTBALL CAPSULE
Who: Florida Atlantic Owls (21-21, 8-4 A-Sun) at Lipscomb Bisons (13-25, 3-7 A-Sun)
What: Atlantic Sun Conference softball doubleheader
When: Saturday, April 15, 2006 at 2:00 p.m. EDT
Where: Lipscomb University, Nashville, Tenn.
Admission: No charge