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Sunday, February 9, 2003
FIU beats FAU, 4-0, for
Schlotzsky's/ FIU Invitational championship
 IU
pitchers Amanda Nealer and Nicole Barrett combined
to scatter seven hits as the Golden Panthers own their own Schlotzsky's/
FIU Invitational Sunday with a 4-0 victory over Florida Atlantic.
It was the first in-season tournament championship in the
history of the FIU program.
The shutout was the second straight for FIU (4-6) who had
defeated No. 22-ranked Alabama, 1-0, behind a Nealer's complete
game victory late Saturday night to earn a shot at the championship.
Against the Lady Owls, Nealer hooked up against FAU freshman
pitcher Amanda Morin (3-3), who tossed a complete-game
one-hitter against FIU, Saturday afternoon. Morin looked to pick
up Sunday right where she had left off, retiring the first eight
Golden Panthers she faced without allowing a ball to leave the
infield.
FIU finally cracked the scoreboard with three runs in the
fifth inning off Morin. Marleah Stapf's pinch-hit single
scored Yarah Otero with a one-out run. Then, with runners
at second and third and two out, Cindy Turek plated two
more runs with a single and her team-leading eight and ninth
RBI of the season.
The Golden Panthers added an insurance run in the sixth inning
on a Lindsay Tippings' RBI single.
Nealer (4-1) lasted five innings and struck out six. She appeared
to get stronger as she went along, retiring eight of the last
nine batters she faced, handing the ball off to Barrett who hurled
the final two innings, getting out of jams in both with the help
of three strikeouts.
Jessica Sachs had two of FAU's seven hits as the Lady
Owls (4-6) saw their three-game winning streak come to an end.
FIU and FAU meet again for a single game this Tuesday, Feb.
11 at University Park.
In the consolation game, No. 16 Ohio State (2-3) built a 7-0
lead en route to a 7-2 win over No. 22-ranked Alabama (6-4).
The Buckeyes banged out 12 hits, two each by Jennifer Link,
Karisa Evans, Kristi DeVries and Stacy Hibma.
DeVries (2-1) picked up the win with four innings of two-hit
relief and allowed two unearned runs as Ohio State made six fielding
errors. |