Boca Raton, Fla. – A day before the Conference USA Championship Tournament, a pair of Florida Atlantic University softball student-athletes were named to all-conference honors.
Sara Berthiaume took home All-C-USA First Team recognition, while Lynn Gardner was named Second Team All-C-USA . The awards are based off a vote of the league’s head coaches. These honors are the first conference awards for both Owls.
Sara Berthiaume, Junior, Outfielder, Coconut Creek, Fla., Coral Springs Charter
First Team All-Conference USA
Berthiaume takes home all-conference honors after an outstanding junior season for the Owls. The FAU left fielder leads the team in almost every offensive category, including batting average (.387), RBI (33), doubles (10) and triples (7). She ranks fourth in the conference in batting average and third in the nation in triples. Berthiaume is tied for the team lead in home runs with Zoey Jones at four each.
A consistent threat at the plate, Berthiaume leads FAU with 17 multi-hit games, including four three-hit games and one four-hit game. She also leads the squad with eight multi-RBI games, including a four-RBI game. That came in the Owls’ April 23 win over FIU, when she recorded a grand slam and her 100th career hit. Berthiaume ranks ninth in the conference in OPS with a 1.049 mark.
Lynn Gardner, Senior, Pitcher, Mobile, Ala., UMS-Wright College Prep
Second Team All-Conference USA
Gardner scores second team all-conference honors after a terrific senior season in the circle for the Owls. She has been the ace and workhorse of the pitching staff and leads FAU in almost every pitching category, including wins (17) ERA (2.46), innings pitched (170.2), complete games (21) and shutouts (9).
Gardner ranks seventh in the nation in shutouts and fourth in the conference in ERA. Remarkably, Gardner has only been pulled from a game she started three times, with 21 complete games in 24 starts. The left-hander ranks fourth in C-USA in innings pitched, fifth in wins as well as fifth in strikeouts (119). She has four starts where she allowed only two hits while going the distance.
The Owls hold the No. 5 seed in the Conference USA Tournament, and will take on UTSA who is the No. 8 seed. FAU’s first game will be on May 11 at 3:30 p.m. eastern time.
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