Owls Sweep Their Way to Final Day of Gainesville Regional

Saturday, May 16

Gainesville, Fla.

3:30 PM

Florida Atlantic

38-18-1

Florida A&M

18-39

Florida A&M

Florida Atlantic

5/16/2015 11:57:00 AM | Softball

Box Score

Box Score May 16, 2015

FAU-FAMU Box Score
FAU-Hofstra Box Score
Miller's Walk-Off Hit

GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Alex Miller's walkoff double capped a pair of elimination game victories that advanced the Florida Atlantic University softball team to the final day of the Gainesville Regional on Saturday.

The Owls defeated Florida A&M 7-2 in their first game of the day. FAU struck for two runs in the bottom of the second inning. Mickey Bell walked, and after Delaney Rickey hit into a fielder's choice, Lindsey Shell tripled to bring in Rickey before scoring on a Rattler error. FAMU cut its deficit in half in the third inning on a Jessi Nathan solo homerun. The Rattlers tied the game on a RBI double in the fourth inning.

FAU regained the lead for good in the sixth inning when Carnesha Thompson and Melissa Martinez both walked followed by Thompson scoring on another FAMU error. Martinez scored on a Tatum Buckley single to make the score 4-2. Doubles by Shell and Thompson, a Lochten hit by pitch and a Melissa Martinez triple helped the Owls score three runs in the sixth inning for the final tally.

Samantha Messer threw five innings in the circle before giving way to Buckley. Messer picked up her 10th win, while Buckley received her second save. FAU defeated Hofstra 3-2 in nine innings in its second game of the day. The Pride took a 2-0 lead in the second inning on three hits. Rickey began the rally with a leadoff single in the top of the third. A Christina Martinez triple plated Rickey before a wild pitch tied the score 2-2. The Owls had runners on first and second with two out in the bottom of the seventh, but an interference call on Sarah Howell sent the game to extra innings.

After starter Amanda Wilson gave up a leadoff single, Kylee Hanson relieved her in the circle and retired the next three batters in order. Melissa Martinez drew a walk to lead off the bottom of the ninth. Tatum Buckley later followed with a single to left, setting the stage for Miller. Miller's hit scored Melissa Martinez and put the Owls into the final day of Regional play.

The Owls improved to 39-18-1 with the two wins on Saturday. FAU will have to beat host Florida, the nation's no. 1 overall seed, twice on Sunday to advance to Super Regionals.

Sunday's action will start at 1 p.m., followed by a second game starting at 3:30 p.m, if necessary. All information on this weekend's Regional, including interactive brackets, can be found at the FAU Tournament Central page here.