DAYTONA BEACH,Fla. – The Florida Atlantic University softball team split a doubleheader against Bethune-Cookman on Wednesday. The Owls won game one by a 5-0 tally before dropping game two, 2-1.
GAME ONE
The Owls had a solid all-around effort in game one led by Lynn Gardner’s complete game shutout. Entering today, Gardner ranked 12th in the nation in shutouts. This marked her seventh of the season and her complete game was the 15th for the senior left-hander.
Gardner struck out a season-high 10 batters and only walked a pair.
FAU’s offense got the Owls on the board in the third inning. Kaitlyn Cunningham ripped an RBI single that bounced off the diving Wildcat shortstop to score Maya Amm. Two batters later, Sara Berthiaume drove in Amm with an RBI triple to center. The triple was Berthiaume’s sixth of the season, and she ranked eighth in the nation in three-baggers entering today’s games.
As Gardner kept the Wildcats off the scoreboard, FAU got one run in the fourth with an RBI double from Amm, then two more in the seventh from a Berthiaume base hit and a Myah Murray RBI double.
Berthiuame led the way with a 3-for-4 effort at the plate with the two RBI. Gardner allowed just five hits, all of which were singles.
GAME TWO
Bethune-Cookman grabbed a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning. The Owls had a chance to score in the second with the bases loaded and nobody out, but could not push any runs over.
That score held up until the seventh inning. FAU starter Gabby Sacco took a tough loss in the circle with both runs going as unearned.
In the seventh, Gardner worked a pinch-hit walk, then Amm and Sommer Baker both got on with a walk and a hit by pitch. Cunningham tied it up with an RBI sacrifice fly to make it 1-1.
The Wildcats scored after FAU mishandled a rundown in the bottom of the seventh inning.
BYE WEEKEND
The Owls are off this weekend, and will return to action to face FIU in a three-game set April 22-24.
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