No. 1 FAU Upset in 15-Inning Marathon vs. No. 8 FIU, 12-9

Wednesday, May 9

Murfreesboro, Tenn.

4:00 PM

Florida Atlantic

FIU (Sun Belt Tournament)

5/9/2007 12:00:00 AM | Softball

May 9, 2007

Box Score

MURFREESBORO, TN - In the longest game in Sun Belt Conference Tournament history, the Florida Atlantic University softball team fell in the first round to Florida International 12-9 in 15 innings on Wednesday at Blue Raider Field.

The Owls got on the scoreboard early with four runs in the bottom of the first. Three straight Owls reached via the walk with one out, as Jenna Lopez, Mandie Fishback and Blair Bodenmiller all drew free passes.

Amy Bukovich drove in the game's first two runs with a two-run single to right center, scoring Lopez and Fishback. A wild pitch would score Bodenmiller from third and an RBI single off the bat of Amber Barton would plate the fourth run of the inning.

In the third, the Owls would load the bases with two out, and a walk to Melissa Moore would force in a run, giving FAU a 5-0 lead after three innings.

The Golden Panthers got a run back in the fourth off starting pitcher Jen Musillo on a single, a stolen base coupled with a throwing error and a wild pitch. They would add two more in the fifth on a throwing error, but the Owls held a 5-3 lead heading into the seventh inning.

Monique White spoiled the Owls' celebration with a tape-measure homer over the left field fence with two outs in the seventh to send the game to extra innings.

With the game still tied at five in the ninth, White would once again hit a mammoth blast over the left field fence to put the Golden Panthers on top, 7-5.

Florida Atlantic needed a couple of runs in a hurry in the bottom of the ninth, and got some help from a pair of seniors leading off the inning. Lopez led off with a double and Fishback followed with a double of her own to produce a run and put the tying run on second with no one out.

A sacrifice by Bodenmiller moved Fishback up to third, and a grounder up the middle by Bukovich tied the ballgame at seven and extended the game once again.

The Owls would put together a one-out threat in the 12th after back-to-back infield singles by Lopez and Fishback, but the Golden Panthers would get out of the inning with no damage done.

In the 13th, FIU got a single by Desiree Fink, who stole second and scored on a Tabitha Embry double to put the Golden Panthers on top, 8-7. A single off the glove of Musillo by Kim Rodriguez would put runners on the corners with two out, and FIU executed a double steal to get an insurance marker, 9-7.

In the bottom of the 13th, Becky Brandies led the inning off with a double to left center and an error allowed her to score, getting the Owls within a run, 9-8, with one out and a runner on first.

Bodenmiller would follow with a single off the handle of the bat up the middle and Bukovich would single over the head of the third baseman to load the bases with one out.

Lauren Crandall would drive in the tying run with a fly ball to the warning track in center to plate Fishback and tie the game at nine.

In the 15th, FIU would score three more runs, one on the third home run of the game by White who had six RBI, and take a 12-9 lead. The Owls went 1-2-3 in the bottom half of the inning.

The game ties two previous 15 inning games (both vs. Stetson) for the longest in school history. FAU had split the previous two outings. The game lasted three hours and 43 minutes.

Musillo (22-11) went the distance for FAU, throwing 15 innings while allowing 20 hits, 12 runs (nine earned), walking five and striking out 13. The loss snapped a personal 12-game winning streak.

Fishback and Lopez each finished with three hits and Bukovich had three RBI.

The loss sends FAU to Thursday's 1:30 p.m., ET game, where they will face the loser of tonight's Middle Tennessee/South Alabama contest.