Owls Topped by the Hilltoppers

Friday, May 7

Bowling Green, Ky.

4 PM

Florida Atlantic

12-32, 0

WKU

24-12, 0

Florida Atlantic

WKU

Photo by: Chris Kohley/WKU Athletics

5/7/2021 11:38:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Florida Atlantic University's softball team dropped a doubleheader to host WKU on Friday afternoon. The first game was a 4-3 WKU decision and FAU fell in the second game, 4-0.

How it Happened

Game 1
FAU (12-32, 6-12 Conference USA) opened game one aggressively, scoring in the top of the first. Freshman centerfielder Kaitlynn Cunningham led off the game with a single to left. She stole second and scored on a one-out single by Kaitlyn Burke. WKU (25-12, 8-6, C-USA) matched the score in the bottom half of the inning courtesy of two errors on the same play.

Both teams were quiet in the second; however, WKU scored two in the bottom of the third and held a 3-1 lead through the fourth. FAU junior third baseman Myah Murray opened the fifth with a double to the left-center wall, and advanced to third on a sacrifice. Then, junior second baseman Maya Amm drew a walk and gave way for pinch runner Breanna Robine. With runners on first and third the Hilltoppers committed a throwing error that FAU took advantage of by plating both Murray and Robine. WKU would get out of the inning with no more damage and neither team was able to break the 3-3 tied in the sixth.

FAU went down in order in the top half of the seventh and then saw WKU get a leadoff single followed by a sac bunt. Two walks would follow to load the bases for a heroic single to right and the 4-3 WKU final.

Game 2
WKU belted a solo homer in the bottom of the first and added three in the second to build a 4-0 lead. The FAU bats were held silent for much of the game with senior shortstop Gretchen Ebert beating out a spinning-worm burner for an infield single to first. She moved to second on a wild pitch putting the Owls' first runner in scoring position.

The Owls would not connect with a second hit until the sixth, a Cunningham two-out single up the middle. In the seventh inning, Riley Ennis, who replaced an injured Murray at third, tagged the Owls' final hit, on the leftfield line chalk, but that is where the threat would end and the Hilltoppers would take the 4-0 final.

Statistically

Game 1

Burke led the Owls with a 2-for-3 game, with a RBI
Cunningham was 1-for-3 with one run scored and Murray was 1-for-2 with the double, a walk and a run scored
Junior lefty Lynn Gardner tossed a complete game but suffered the loss, falling to 7-14 on the season. Gardner recorded six strikeouts, one shy of her single-game high, and issued three walks

Game 2

Cunningham, Ennis and Ebert were each credited with a single. Cunningham had three plate appearances while Ennis and Ebert had two each
The Owls used two pitchers in the game with Donnie Gobourne drawing the start and taking the loss after just one inning of work. Gobourne gave up four runs, all earned
Abigail Morgan tossed the final five innings, scattered three hits, walked two and struck out two

What's Next

FAU will return to the WKU Softball Complex Saturday afternoon for a 1 p.m. EST game and possibly a second game, depending on weather projections. To follow the team socially, visit @fausoftball, or for the most up-to-date information go to www.fausports.com.