FAU Earns a Saturday Split

Saturday, February 11

Boca Raton, Fla.

2 p.m.

Florida Atlantic

2-1

Iowa

3-1

Iowa

Florida Atlantic

2/11/2023 10:22:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

BOCA RATON, Fla. – Florida Atlantic University softball grabbed a nine-inning 4-3 victory over Iowa and then fell in the nightcap 3-1 to Loyola.

The Owls, who move to 2-2 on the season, will play their final contest of the Paradise Classic on Sunday at 2 p.m. versus Bethune-Cookman.

GAME ONE

The Owls scored their first runs of the game in the bottom of the second to take a 2-1 lead. Iowa plated a run in the top of the fifth to even the contest at 2-2, which is where the game sat until the eighth.

With the international tiebreaker in play starting in the first extra frame, Iowa played textbook softball to score the one and take a 3-2 lead into the bottom of the eighth. FAU evened the contest in the bottom half of the inning. Third baseman Jesiana Mora, the last batter of the pervious inning, was placed on second. She moved to third on a sacrifice bunt. The Owls next batter hit a pop fly into shallow foul territory where a diving Iowa shortstop caught the second out of the inning, but a heads up Mora scored on the play tying the game at 3-3.

Lynn Gardner, who pitched a complete nine-inning game, returned to the circle holding Iowa scoreless. FAU would use the bottom half of the inning to score the go ahead run. Grad student Maya Amm was placed on second. Pinch hitter Caryssa Orland laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt to move Amm to third and Riley Ennis came through for the Owls with a single up the middle scoring Amm and giving FAU the 4-3 win.

NOTES/STATS

Catcher Olivia Peterson was 2-for-3 with 2 of the team's four RBIs
Riley Olson was 2-for-3 with a run scored
Ennis had the game winning RBI while Mora also had one
Gardner moved to 1-1 on the season, gave up no earned runs through nine innings of work and struck out two

GAME TWO

With a game scheduled between the Owls first and second contest of the night, FAU's bats fell silent.

Loyola scored two in the second and added one in the four while their pitcher held FAU scoreless through six innings.

With two outs in the bottom of the seventh and the Owls trailing 3-0, Riley Olson belted the first #BombOverthePalms, but that is where the runs would end and Loyola took the 3-1 game.

NOTES/STATS

The Owls three hits were recorded by Olson, who was 1-for-2, Jesiana Mora, who broke up the no-hitter brewing in the third and was 1-fo-3 on the night, and Sara Berthiaume, who was 1-for-3 at the plate added a single in the sixth
Gabby Sacco started the game for FAU, tossing three innings, allowing eight hits and three runs, two of which were earned
Ainsley Lambert threw the final four innings giving up just one hit, no walks and recorded two strikeouts

NEXT UP

The Owls will wrap up the 2023 Paradise Classic with Sunday's final game at 2 p.m. versus Bethunce-Cookman.

TICKETS

Fans may purchase tickets online or at FAU's softball stadium

FOLLOW THE OWLS

For the Owls' complete schedule, click HERE. To follow the team socially, visit @fausoftball, or for the most up-to-date information go to www.fausports.com.