Florida Atlantic University Athletics
Florida Atlantic
Middle Tennessee (Sun Belt Tournament)
FAU Completes Comeback Trail, Wins SBC Tournament
5/12/2007 1:38:00 PM | Softball
May 12, 2007
MURFREESBORO, TN - Jen Musillo and the Florida Atlantic University softball team completed a comeback trail in amazing fashion on Saturday, winning five-straight games to emerge from the loser's bracket after falling in the first round to claim the Sun Belt Conference Championship, 1-0 over Troy on Saturday.
Musillo, the tournament's "Most Outstanding Player", had a streak of 20-consecutive shutout innings at one point, and pitched a pair of complete-game three hit shutouts on the tournament's final day.
The Owls could muster only two hits off Troy's starter Angela Lopez, both off the bat of Annie Voyles. The FAU catcher smacked a double to the gap in left center to score Melissa Moore from first for the game's only run in the third inning.
The one run would be all Musillo would need, as the senior from Tequesta, FL threw a three-hitter, all singles, walked three and struck out six. She allowed back-to-back hits to start the sixth, but retired the next three batters to extinguish the only threat Troy would muster.
The Owls (42-23) will now sit and wait for the NCAA Regional selection show, scheduled for 3 p.m., eastern on ESPN News. The Sun Belt does not have an automatic bid to a regional this season.
Musillo, Becky Brandies and Mandie Fishback were all named to the All-Tournament team following the game.
In order to reach the championship game, the Owls had to take a pair of games from Middle Tennessee. Musillo tossed a three-hit shutout in the first game and the Owls got an RBI ground out by Blair Bodenmiller.
In game two, FAU got a two-run triple from Mandie Fishback, who had three RBI in the game, and held on for a 4-3 win over the Blue Raiders. Musillo went the first three innings and Amber Barton threw the final four as the Owls earned the right to play the Trojans.
