Owls Stage Massive Comeback, Fall Short in Extra Innings

Saturday, March 21

Wichita, Kan.

5:00 PM

Florida Atlantic

20-11, 3-5

Wichita State

18-10, 6-2

Florida Atlantic

Wichita State

Photo by: Cadence Whitehouse

3/21/2026 10:47:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

By: Ben Paul

WICHITA, Kans. – A seventh-inning rally by the Florida Atlantic softball team sent a Saturday matchup against Wichita State into extra innings, but the Owls (20-11, 3-5) surrendered a walk-off home run to the Shockers (18-10, 6-2) for the second day in a row and fell 10-8.

The Owls struck first with a three-run homer to start the game before the Shockers put up eight unanswered runs over the next five innings. Trailing 8-3 entering the seventh, FAU scored five runs to tie the game, eventually broken by Wichita State with the winning two-run shot in the bottom of the ninth.

THE BEGINNING
Mixing up the batting order, sophomore outfielder Bella Foran recorded a hit from the lead-off spot and move up a base on a single by redshirt junior Kylie Hammonds. Senior third baseman Jesiana Mora then launched her fifth home run of the year, a three-run blast for a 3-0 lead.

Wichita State crawled its way back with two homers in the bottom of the first inning and a tying solo shot to center field to lead off the bottom of the third. The Shockers took the lead later in the frame and added four more runs in the fourth to go up 8-3, a lead that held until the seventh.

THE TURNING POINT
The unlikely comeback began at the top of the seventh with a lead-off homer by junior Ciara Gibson, her first of the season. Entering as a pinch hitter, Cameryn Orland then tallied her first extra base hit since April of 2024 with a double and soon scored on an RBI single by sophomore shortstop Hannah Rivers.

Returning to the top of the order, Foran turned a hit down the left field line into a two-RBI triple to cut the deficit to 8-7. Mora's infield blooper was just enough to score Foran, the tying run.

THE FINISH
Graduate pitcher Ainsley Lambert entered and quickly delivered a 1-2-3 inning, ending with a called strikeout to ensure FAU's first extra-innings game of the season.

Both teams went empty-handed in the eighth inning. With two outs on the board in the top of the ninth, the Owls loaded the bases via a walk, single, and hit-by-pitch, but the runners were left stranded. A Shockers' single began the bottom of the ninth before the game-winning home run to secure the series win.

NOTES/NOTABLE

Mulholland recorded her 10th hit-by-pitch of the season, currently second in the American Conference.
With four RBI, Mora tied her season high for the third time this year.
Foran's triple was the first of her collegiate career.
Making her American Conference debut, freshman pitcher Madilyn Byrd allowed just two hits and no runs in 2.1 innings of work.
12 hits and eight runs by FAU are its most in a loss this season.

UP NEXT
The series will close on Sunday with a 1 p.m. ET first pitch on ESPN+.

FOLLOW THE OWLS
For the Owls' complete schedule, click HERE. To follow the team socially, visit @fausoftball, or for the most up-to-date information, go to www.fausports.com.