BOCA RATON, Fla. – The FAU softball team split Tuesday’s doubleheader against Central Arkansas. The Owls took game one behind Donnie Gobourne’s complete game, 4-1, before dropping game two by a 5-0 tally.
Game One: FAU 4, Central Arkansas 1
The Owls (16-16) downed the Bears in game one behind Gobourne’s complete game and a balanced offensive attack. The junior right-handed pitcher got her first win of the season and allowed only three hits, all singles. Gobourne racked up six strikeouts on the afternoon en route to her first win of the year.
Kaitlyn Cunningham led off the game with a triple to right center field. Zoey Jones knocked Cunningham in with an RBI single two batters later. Jones leads the Owls in RBI with 12 on the season.
Caryssa Orland delivered an RBI single in the bottom of the fourth inning to double the FAU lead. The Owls stretched it to 3-0 in the third with a pair of extra base hits. Sommer Baker tripled to left center, then Sara Berthiaume drove her in with a double to the right center field gap.
Cunningham extended the lead to 4-0 in the sixth inning with another extra base hit, an RBI double to left center that scored Cameryn Orland. The Bears got one back in the seventh, but it was too little and too late.
Cunningham went 2-4 with an RBI and a run scored, while Baker went 2-2 with two walks and a run scored. FAU tallied four extra base hits in the game one victory.
Game Two: Central Arkansas 5, FAU 0
The Owls’ bats were silenced by Central Arkansas starting pitcher Kayla Beaver in game two. Beaver limited FAU to only one hit all game.
Cunningham recorded the hit, an infield single in the bottom of the fourth inning. The Owls’ center fielder also worked a walk to go 1-2 on the night.
Central Arkansas scored one run in each of its first three innings. Gabby Sacco took the loss for FAU to dip to 7-5 on the year. Sacco only went two innings and allowed two runs. Lynn Gardner went the last five innings, striking out seven.
FAU will return to action for a three-game series against Western Kentucky at home this weekend. First pitch of game one is set for 6 p.m. on Friday.
