Three Home Runs Spark Owl Victory over FIU

Wednesday, March 25

Miami, Fla.

6:00 PM

Florida Atlantic

22-11

FIU

23-9

Florida Atlantic

FIU

Photo by: Christian Proscia

3/25/2026 9:14:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

By: Ben Paul

MIAMI – The Florida Atlantic softball team tallied 10 hits and three home runs at the plate on the way to a 10-2 midweek victory over FIU on Wednesday evening.

In their first of two meetings for the 2026 season, the Owls (22-11) defeated the Panthers (23-9) with a multi-home run performance by redshirt junior outfielder Kylie Hammonds.

Senior pitcher Autumn Courtney was effective in the circle with seven strikeouts in 6.2 innings to improve to 11-5 on the season.

THE BEGINNING
A lead-off walk by sophomore outfielder Bella Foran was followed up by a no-doubt home run to left field by Hammonds for a 2-0 lead. The Panthers responded with a tying two-run homer of their own in the bottom of the first.

In the top of the second, sophomore shortstop Hannah Rivers reached base on a hit-by-pitch and later scored off a hit by Foran to re-capture the lead, now 3-2.

THE TURNING POINT
Hammonds was not done, smashing a ball to right field in the top of the fifth for her second homer of the evening.

From then on, it was all Owls offense. A lead-off double by redshirt senior first baseman Madison Inscoe led to her scoring on an RBI from junior Ciara Gibson. Coming off the bench, sophomore Lily Holtje launched her sixth home run of the season to up the score to 6-2.

THE FINISH
The Panthers threatened in the bottom of the six, loading the bases and bringing the tying run to the plate. But with two outs on the board, Courtney tossed her seventh strikeout of the night to leave them stranded.

Florida Atlantic tacked four more runs in the top of the seventh. Two straight hit-by-pitches to start the inning led to a run scoring on an error on the next at-bat. In a pinch-hitting role, redshirt senior McKenna Mulholland delivered a two-RBI single, eventually scoring on a sacrifice fly by senior Yani Guzman for the 10th run of the game.

NOTES/NOTABLE

Hammonds now has nine home runs this season, more than the Owls' leaders for the whole 2025 campaign. It marks her second multi-homer game of the season.
Gibson logged her first multi-hit game of the year.
Foran has scored multiple runs in two out of her last three games.
Courtney lowers her ERA to 2.45, third in the American Conference.
The Owls recorded a season-high four hit-by-pitches.

QUOTABLE

Postgame with @CoachJordanFAU #WIP🏝️pic.twitter.com/OxLA0CntfI
— Florida Atlantic Softball (@FAUSoftball) March 26, 2026

UP NEXT
The Owls are back in Paradise to host UTSA on Joan Joyce Field at FAU Softball Stadium. The three-game series begins on Friday, March 27 at 6 p.m. 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.