Sunday, May 5, 2002

IU and Western Kentucky split their second straight doubleheader, 3-1 and 0-4 in Bowling Green, KY. Both teams finish at 8-8 in Sun Belt Conference play to finish in a tie for second in the regular season.

Vanessa Preston and Amanda Nealer combined to allow WKU just four hits in game one, though the duo issued seven free passes. Preston gave up one hit and fanned five in 4.1 innings for her second win of the series, improving to 13-10.

Nealer — who saw the shutout end after Jessie Richardson doubled down the left-field line with two outs in the final frame to plate Melissa Garcia — earned her second save over the weekend and sixth of the season.

After WKU's Allison Silver retired the first six batters she faced, the Golden Panthers batted around in the third inning to take a 3-0 lead. Nicole Dubovik led of with a bunt single, stole second and scored on a single from Lindsay Tippings one out
later.

FIU loaded the bases on an error and a walk, with the second Western miscue plating Tippings to make the score 2-0 — Jennifer Owens followed with another single to cap the scoring in the frame.

Owens added a single in the fifth to finish 2-for-4, as the Golden Panthers ended the contest with six hits. Silver fell to 17-9, allowing one earned run on five hits and a walk with six strikeouts in 6.0 innings.

The Hilltoppers Rockie Castillo threw her fifth shutout of the season in game two. Shelly Floyd had two hits and two RBI to lead Western Kentucky to a 4-0 victory over Florida International at WKU Softball Field.

Western Kentucky (37-20, 8-8 Sun Belt) and FIU (38-32, 8-8 SBC) will meet again Thursday in Miami in the opening round of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament, with the game time set for 1:30 p.m. ET.