BOCA RATON, Fla. – It was an emotional day on Sunday at the FAU Softball Stadium. On Saturday night, FAU head softball coach Joan Joyce passed away at the age of 81.
Joyce, the only head coach in the Owls’ history, was a legend and an icon in the sporting world. She leaves behind a legacy that impacted countless others and will be remembered forever.
The Owls, with heavy hearts, defeated WKU 3-2 in the rubber game of the three-game series.
“If you knew Coach Joyce, you knew that she was a competitor,” FAU associate head coach Chan Walker said. “This is what she would have wanted. She would have wanted us to come out and compete, just like every time we step on the field. To do it for her, with her banner in center field, yes it was tough, but it was two hours of a way to take our minds off things and play the game that a lot of people say she built.”
The Owls grabbed the lead right away in the bottom of the first inning. With runners on second and third and two outs, Riley Olson drove a double into the left center field gap that scored Sara Berthiaume and Riley Ennis. The ball was mishandled by the Hilltopper outfielders, and Olson motored around the base paths to make it all the way back home and get FAU an early 3-0 lead.
FAU starting pitcher Lynn Gardner found a rhythm in the circle and retired eight consecutive Hilltoppers from the third inning until the sixth. With two outs in the sixth, WKU plated two runs off the bat of Bailey Curry, yet Gardner shut the door after that to leave the runner on second and keep the Owls in front.
“Coach Joyce would have wanted us to play today,” Gardner said. “We had to go out there and play with a mindset of ‘this is for her.’ We knew that she was watching over us. For everything that she has done for us and the game of softball, she will always be remembered, especially on this field.”
In the seventh, Gardner worked a one-two-three inning capped off by a strikeout to give FAU the emotional win, one that is dedicated to the legendary Coach Joyce.
Gardner improved to 10-5 on the season with her 12th complete game of the year. Her ERA now stands at a team-best 2.46. She recorded seven strikeouts and walked only one batter today.
The Owls and the Hilltoppers are tied for first in the Conference USA East standings with both teams at a 6-3 C-USA record. The Owls will head to Middle Tennessee next weekend for a three-game set beginning on April 1.
Joyce was a pioneer in the softball and sporting world. She is a member of 20 Halls of Fame, is in the Guinness Book of World records, won 1,002 games as a coach and 12 conference championships.
Even with all her achievements, accolades and milestones, Joyce will be most remembered for the countless number of lives that she touched.
“For the game of softball, and just her as a person, she will always be remembered,” Walker said. “She was a competitor who loved to compete but was also the most humble person you can ever meet. She was loved by everyone, and she will be missed.”
****
Anyone wishing to share condolences or memories of Coach Joyce are encouraged to do so by clicking here.
