|
Sunday, April 27, 2003
Wolter, Owens and pitching
staff help FIU to sweep of WKU
 tephanie
Wolter batted 4-for-6 and lefthander Amanda Nealer tossed her
fourth complete-game shutout of the season as the Florida International
softball team held off Western Kentucky (3-2, 1-0) in Sun Belt
Conference doubleheader action on Sunday in Miami. FIU improved
to 32-22, 8-2 on the season while the Hilltoppers fell to 26-26,
4-6.
In game one, Jennifer Owens knocked in all three FIU scores
on two hits, including a two-run homer in the first inning. Starter
Kendra Laminack improved to 11-9, allowing four hits and one
earned run in four innings of action. Nicole Barrett picked up
her NCAA-leading 10th save of the season as she fanned three
batters and held Western to no hits in three innings pitched.
WKU's Allison Silver took the loss, dropping to 14-12 on the
year.
Game two belonged to Nealer (18-7), who tossed a three-hitter
and struck out six batters in her sixth complete-game outing
of the year. Cindy Turek and Amber Gill each had doubles that
led to FIU scores while Nicole Dubovik swiped her 31st stolen
base of the season, establishing a new single-season school record.
Hilltopper starter Adrienne Lathrop (12-9) went the distance,
allowing four hits and striking out two batters.
FIU is on the road for the remainder of the season. The Golden
Panthers travel to Murfreesboro, Tenn., to face Middle Tennessee
next weekend before venturing to Bowling Green, Ken., for the
2003 Sun Belt Conference Championship, May 8-10.
GAME ONE - FIU 3, WKU 1
The Hilltoppers threatened in the top of the first, loading the
bases with two outs, but FIU starter Kendra Laminack got Allison
Silver to fly out to left field to end the inning.
The Golden Panthers took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first
after Jennifer Owens took the first pitch she saw from Silver
over the left field wall to score herself and Stephanie Wolter,
who reached base on a leadoff single.
FIU tacked on another run in the bottom of the third when
Wolter scored again off an RBI single from Owens. Hilltopper
center fielder Riley Garcia prevented the Golden Panthers from
plating their second run of the inning by throwing out Owens
at the plate, as she attempted to score off a single from Cynthia
Turek.
Silver didn't miss a second chance to help her own cause,
smacking an RBI double to the wall to score pinch runner Jennifer
Ballance and cut the WKU deficit to two runs, 3-1, in the fourth
inning. FIU's Nicole Barrett then entered the contest in relief,
shutting down the Hilltopper offense by striking out three batters
and allowing no hits in the final three innings. It was the 10th
save of the season for Barrett, who currently leads all NCAA
Division I pitchers in that category.
FIU's defense helped Laminack improve to 11-9 on the year
by turning two doubles plays. Silver - who had a four-game winning
streak heading into Sunday - dropped to 14-12.
GAME TWO - FIU 2, WKU 0
The Golden Panthers went ahead 1-0 in the bottom of the first
when Nicole Dubovik scored off an RBI double from Cindy Turek.
Dubovik drew a walk with one out and proceeded to steal second
base, her SBC-leading 31st stolen base of the season which also
set a new single-season school record.
After three innings of scoreless ball, FIU pushed their lead
to 2-0 in the bottom of the fifth. Amber Gill started things
off with a double off the center field wall. Pinch runner Carmen
Lopez scored on the next play, crossing the plate off a throwing
error by Western first baseman Natasha Sevco.
FIU's Amanda Nealer improved to 18-7 after allowing just three
hits en route to her fourth shutout of the year. Lathrop dropped
to 12-9 on the year, despite allowing just two runs and four
hits in the losing effort. |