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Friday, May 9, 2003
Nealer, Barrett shut down
WKU to advance FIU to SBC title game
 o.
2-seeded Florida International tallied runs in four-straight
innings after the first and then rode the pitching of Amanda
Nealer and Nicole Barrett to a 5-0 victory over Western Kentucky
to advance to Saturday's Sun Belt Conference Championship game.
Nealer picked up her 21st victory of the season, tying an FIU
school record while Marleah Stapf hit a solo home run and scored
two runs.
"Amanda came out and pitched a great game, and Marleah crushed
a home run to get our offense on track," said FIU head coach
Kim Gwydir. "The recipe to win is good pitching, good defense
and timely hitting. We played a solid all-around game tonight."
"We didn't hit very well, you can't expect to win when you
can't score," said Western Kentucky head coach Leslie Phelan.
"Amanda Nealer mixed her pitches well and kept us off balance.
You have to give her credit for that."
FIU (37-24) advances to face No. 1-seeded Louisiana-Lafayette
tomorrow at 2:30 p.m. (
EST). With the loss, the Hilltoppers, who were coming off a 13-inning,
three-hour marathon with Middle Tennessee in the previous game,
claim third in the SBC Championships and finish the year 30-32.
The Ragin' Cajuns, who are a perfect 12-0 all-time in SBC Tournament
play, knocked off FIU 6-0 earlier in Friday's action.
The Golden Panthers struck first with Stapf's round tripper,
her eighth of the season, off WKU's Adrienne Lathrop in the bottom
of the second. FIU tacked on two more runs, both unearned, in
the bottom of the third to take a 3-0 lead.
Meagan Dontrich stole second after reaching on an error and then
advanced to second off a single by Nicole Dubovik. Dontrich scored
shortly thereafter off a throwing error by Samantha Hansen as
Dubovik went for second. Dubovik then gave FIU a 3-0 lead by
scoring off the Toppers' third error of the inning, a dropped
fly ball in the outfield.
FIU pushed across another run in both the third and fourth innings
compliments of RBI doubles from Lindsay Tippings and Jennifer
Owens, respectively. Nealer pitched five scoreless innings to
improve to 21-7 on the year. Barrett went the final two innings
without surrendering a hit to secure the win.
Western missed chances in the fourth and fifth, stranding a pair
of runners in each inning. FIU's Tippings saved a run in the
top of the fourth by throwing out Shelly Floyd at the plate.
Allison Silver closed out the game for Lathrop, who drops to
15-12 with the loss, with 1.2 scoreless innings.
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