Florida Atlantic University Athletics
Florida Atlantic
WKU
Fishback, Musillo Lead Owls in Doubleheader Sweep of WKU
4/25/2007 12:00:00 AM | Softball
April 25, 2007
BOWLING GREEN, KY - Jen Musillo threw nine shutout innings and Mandie Fishback went 6-for-7 with two home runs as the Florida Atlantic University softball team swept a doubleheader against Western Kentucky at the WKU Softball Complex on Wednesday in a pair of one-run games. The Owls earned 1-0 and 6-5 wins, taking the first two of a three-game set.
In game one, Charlotte Baird's RBI single in the top of the seventh gave the Owls a 1-0 win and Jen Musillo picked up her fifth-straight win, striking out eight and allowing just three hits and one walk over seven innings.
Musillo retired 10 in a row between singles in the second and fifth innings, striking out six over the first five frames, but was matched pitch-for-pitch by WKU's Jennifer Kempf, who allowed just one hit and a pair of walks through the first five, using a nasty change-up.
The Owls would put together a scoring threat in the fifth after back-to-back singles by Jenna Lopez and Mandie Fishback with one out, but Kempf would get out of the inning with a strikeout and a ground out.
Musillo would allow a two-out single in the sixth, but would retire the side on a ground ball to Fishback at second.
In the seventh, Amber Barton would beat out a ground ball in the hole at short to lead off the inning with a single. She took second on a sacrifice bunt by Lauren Crandall, but would have to hold on a ground ball to third by Melissa Moore. Baird would follow with a line shot off the center field fence to score Barton from second and give the Owls a 1-0 lead.
The first two Hilltoppers would be retired in the seventh, but WKU's Lindsay Antone would work a two-out walk and take second on a wild pitch to put the tying run in scoring position. Amanda Ford-Feitz would hit a hard ground ball between third and short that was snared by Amy Bukovich who fired across to finish the game.
In game two, Fishback hit a solo home run to put FAU on top 1-0 in the top of the first, but WKU got three in the bottom of the inning, two on a wild pitch, with all the damage coming with two out off starter Kathryn Stauffer.
With two out in the Owls' second, Melissa Moore followed a single by Lauren Crandall with her first home run of the 2007 season to tie the ballgame at three.
The score would remain that way until the fifth inning, when Fishback lined a pitch over the right field fence against WKU's Kempf, who came on in relief of the starter Ryan Rogge in the third. The home run gave FAU a 4-3 lead and tied Fishback with Bodenmiller for the team lead in home runs with six.
The Hilltoppers came right back, however, with two runs in the bottom of the fifth on a two-out two-run home run by WKU's Shelby Smith, taking a 5-4 lead after five innings of play.
Bodenmiller singled leading off the sixth and stole second to put a runner in scoring position with no one out. After a pop up and a ground out, Bodenmiller was on third with two away. The Hilltoppers appeared to get out of the inning on a ground ball to short, but the throw pulled the first baseman off the bag, allowing Bodenmiller to score and tie the game at five.
Musillo came on in relief with the game tied in the bottom of the sixth to retire the side in order, giving FAU a chance to take the lead in the seventh. The Owls would take advantage thanks to another error, allowing Ambar Jones to reach leading off the seventh. She would move all the way to third on a Jenna Lopez sacrifice bunt, and score on a Fishback single, her fourth hit of the game and sixth of the day.
Western Kentucky would get the tying run aboard with a leadoff single in the bottom of the inning. After a fielder's choice and a stolen base, WKU had a runner on second with one out. Musillo (16-10) would strike out the final two batters, giving her three in two innings of work and her second win of the day. The senior has won her last six decisions in a row, and the Owls have won five of their last six heading into tomorrow's finale.
Barton worked 3 2/3 innings in relief of Stauffer before giving way to Musillo. She allowed four hits, two runs and a walk while striking out two. All but one of the combined 11 runs was scored after two were out. The only run scored with less than two out was Fishback's go-ahead RBI single in the seventh.
The Owls (30-21, 10-7 SBC) will face WKU tomorrow for the final game of a three-game set. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m.
