Owls Keep Regular Season Title Hopes Alive

Friday, May 4

Boca Raton, Fla.

8:00 PM

Florida Atlantic

FIU

5/4/2007 12:00:00 AM | Softball

May 4, 2007

Box Score

BOCA RATON, FL -Mandie Fishback and Blair Bodnemiller each had RBI triples in game one and Amber Barton threw a three hitter in game two as the Florida Atlantic University softball team defeated Florida International University, 3-2 and 2-1, sweeping a doubleheader at FAU Softball Stadium on Friday.

Jen Musillo (20-10), the reigning Sun Belt Pitcher of the Week, went the distance for her 10th consecutive victory in game one.

The Owls were trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the second when Amy Bukovich scored from second on a single up the middle by Lauren Crandall, who had two singles in the game.

FAU would take the lead the following inning. Becky Brandies singled and would come around to score on a triple off the center field wall by Fishback to put the Owls on top, 2-1, after three innings.

Bodenmiller would tack on what would be an important insurance run in the fifth. After another single by Brandies, Bodenmiller drove a ball in the right center gap and sprinted around the bases for her third triple of the season.

The Owls were still up, 3-1, heading into the seventh. FIU would get a leadoff double and put runners on the corners with one out, but Musillo would strand the tying run at second and give the Owls the 3-2 win.

In game two, Amber Barton didn't allow a hit until the fifth inning and had five strikeouts in the first four innings.

By that time, FAU had given her a 2-0 lead to work with, thanks to an RBI single in the first by Fishback, and a run in the second when Barton scored on an error by FIU.

The Golden Panthers made it close with a run in the fifth thanks to a walk and two singles that produced a run. With runners on second and third with two out, Barton induced a pop-up off the bat of Deomni Murry to end the inning.

With runners on first and second with two out in the sixth, Barton (5-7) would once again wiggle out of a jam thanks to a strikeout of Ashley Falk and would retire the side in order for the win.

With the sweep, FAU (35-22, 15-8 SBC) keep their hopes alive for the Sun Belt Conference title. They will need to sweep the Golden Panthers on Saturday in order to keep the hope alive. Game three is scheduled to start at 6 p.m. The Owls will also honor the six seniors on this year's squad before tomorrow's game.