RUSTON, La. – Florida Atlantic University softball’s 2023 season came to a conclusion in the Conference USA Tournament on Friday. The Owls came back to defeat UAB by a 5-3 final score in game one, before being eliminated by Middle Tennessee in game two by a 2-1 tally.
Florida Atlantic closes its season at 35-20 under first year head coach Jordan Clark. The 35 wins are the most in a single season for FAU since 2017. The Owls also won 15 C-USA regular season games and two C-USA tourney games.
GAME ONE
The Owls trailed the Blazers, 3-2, heading into the seventh inning, but stormed back with a three-run rally. Becca Jones pinch hit and was hit by the pitch to lead off. Sara Berthiaume then worked a walk that brought up Cammeo Presutti.
Presutti ripped one that tucked just inside first base and went all the way down the line into the right field corner. Pinch runner Abby Ota and Berthiaume scored, then the relay throw sailed away, and Presutti came around to score herself to complete the comeback. An inning earlier, Caryssa Orland robbed a home run in right field, which held up to be crucial.
Ainsley Lambert was terrific out of the bullpen, tossing a shutout final 4.2 innings to improve to 6-3 on the season. Lambert finishes the year with a 1.68 ERA.
The Owls trailed 3-1 heading into the fifth inning, but Sommer Baker scored on a wild pitch after a strikeout to make it 3-2.
STATS & NOTES
- Presutti had a big game, going 3-4 with the two clutch RBI and a run scored
- Jesiana Mora went 2-4 with a run scored
- Olivia Peterson 1-3 with an RBI and a walk
GAME TWO
Middle Tennessee got a run right away in the first inning off FAU starter Gabby Sacco. The Owls tied it up two innings later, when Sommer Baker drove in Ota on a sacrifice fly.
That 1-1 score held up until the sixth inning, as Sacco retired eight batters in a row. In the sixth, Middle Tennessee took the lead with a base hit to left field. The batter was ruled out as she missed first base and FAU appealed, but the run still scored to give the Blue Raiders a 2-1 edge, one that held up as the final score.
STATS & NOTES
- Berthiaume went 1-2 with a walk, while Presutti and Zoey Jones also picked up hits for the Owls
- Presutti finishes the season as the Owls’ leading hitter with a .332 batting average
- Berthiaume closes out with a .321 batting average and 19 RBI in only 36 games played
- Peterson finishes with a team-leading eight home runs and 34 RBI
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