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Sunday, March 2, 2003
Buffalo and Tennessee take
home honors at Coca-Cola Golden Panther Invitational
 he
Universities of Buffalo and Tennessee took the co-championship
of the Coca-Cola Golden Panther Invitational with victories Sunday
at University Park.
Tennessee (14-6) easily handled Furman, 5-0, behind the play
of Tournament MVP Stacey Jennings while Buffalo (3-2) nipped
host FIU (10-16), 2-0.
The Golden Panthers Amanda Nealer and Buffalo's Stacey
Evans (3-0) hooked up in a pitchers' dual with Nealer dealing
a no-hitter through the first five innings.
The only three base runners against her over that time were
three hit batsmen. But in the sixth, Allison Round led
off with the Bulls first base hit, a single. Marce Ross
followed with a slap that was botched for a throwing error and
then Breanne Nasti drove home the first run of the game
on a base hit up the middle.
That chased Nealer (7-6) who gave way to Kendra Laminack
with runners on first and third and no one out. She retired
the first two batters she faced on a pop out and a strikeout,
but Julie Hibner singled, scoring Ross with the second
run of the inning.
The FIU offense kept the pressure on Evans, but could never
crack the scoreboard. In the first inning, Stephanie Wolter
singled and Jennifer Owens walked and got as far at
second and third with only one out. But Evans struck out the
next two batters she faced to end the threat.
The Golden Panthers placed runners on first and second with
two outs in the fourth innings and again in the fifth, with one
out, but both times came away empty.
Evans, who finished with eight strikeouts, retired seven of
the last eight batters she faced to end the game and preserve
her shutout.
Meagan Dontrich led the FIU offense with a pair of
singles.
The Lady Vols Stacey Jennings was the hitting and pitching
star in their 5-0 win over Furman. Jennings (7-4) went the distance
in picking up the pitching win after allowing only two hits against
the Lady Paladins.
At the plate, the freshman from Aurora, Colo., went 2-for-3
with a home run, a run scored and three RBI. Over the weekend,
she hit at a .438 clip with four home runs and 14 RBI while going
1-1 on the mound with a 2.50 ERA.
FIU
5, Buffalo: Late Saturday, Amanda Nealer (7-5)
and Nicole Barrett combined on a five hitter as the Golden
Panthers beat the Bulls, 5-1. FIU scored two in the first inning,
one in the second and a pair in the third. The Golden Panthers
got two hits apiece from Nicole Dubovik, Marleah Stapf,
Kristen Perry and Rossana Lopez.
FIU
4, Florida A&M 3: After Florida A&M scored
three runs in the third inning to take a 3-2 lead, FIU fought
back with a run in the fourth inning and another in the fifth
for a 4-3 victory late Saturday night.
The Golden Panthers tied the game with an unearned run in
the fourth on a Kristen Perry single, a wild pitch and
a FAMU fielding error. FIU scored the game winner one inning
later when Jennifer Owens opened with a single and scored
on a Perry double, one out later.
Nicole Barrett (1-5) picked up the win in relief, going
4.1 innings and allowing only a pair of hits. Owens and Perry
each went 4-for-4 and both scored a pair of runs and knocked
in another. |