BOCA RATON, Fla. – The 2021 Florida Atlantic University Parents’ Weekend Tournament nightcap featured two head coaches that have a combined 64 years of experience and 23 Halls of Fame. The matchup was all you could ask for and more, including extra innings.
Ultimately, the Owls fell to Illinois State 5-4, in eight, after their game one loss to Kentucky, ranked No. 11 nationally.
The day began for the Owls (3-15) versus Kentucky (19-0). UK scattered hits and collected walks in the top of the second to score four runs. The Owls would cut the lead in half in the bottom of the third. The bottom of the frame began with back-to-back triples by Sara Berthiuame and Kaitlyn Cunningham, and a wild pitch that plated Cunningham for the 4-2 score. UK responded in the top of the fourth with three runs. Both teams threatened but did not score another run for the 7-2 final.
Game two followed, featuring Illinois State’s Melinda Fischer, in her 37th season as a head coach and FAU’s Joan Joyce, who is in her 27th season and is the only head coach the Owls have known.
The first three and a half innings looked to have all the makings of a pitchers’ duel. The Owls were the first to strike, scoring Fayth Davis in the bottom of the fourth. Davis singled and moved up one base following a walk and another following a wild pitch. Davis held her ground on a fielder’s choice and then scored on the second FC.
ISU tied the game in the top of the fifth and FAU answered. ISU tied it once more in the top of the sixth only to see FAU answer once more, this time with two, in the bottom of the sixth. The Owls made a pitching change, to prevent an injury to starter Abigail Morgan, and promptly gave up three runs, only to see one erased due to obstruction by ISU. With the score tied at four, the Owls went down in order, sending the matchup into extra innings.
Playing under international tiebreaker rules, ISU place a runner on second and used the top of the 8th inning to score one. FAU had the same opportunity in the bottom half of the inning but were unable to score, for the 5-4 final.
JOYCE’S TAKE
“The game against Kentucky, again was a very competitive game,” said Joyce. “We had opportunities that we didn’t take advantage of but had some really good plays towards the end of the game. We hit the ball in the second game until they made a pitching change in the fifth. Sommer [Baker] came up with a great hit.”
STATISTICALLY
Game One
- Both Berthiaume (1-for-2) and Cunningham (1-for-3) had triples
- Donnie Gobourne and Zoey Jones were 1-for-3
- Fayth Davis was 1-for-2
- Jones rounded out the Owls with extra bases, with a double
- Gobourne tossed the first inning for the Owls and took the loss. She gave way to Lynn Gardner in the top of the second, who gave up three earned runs
Game Two
- Six Owls accounted for the six hits
- Cunningham was 1-for-4 while Amm, Davis, Jones, Caryssa Orland and Baker were 1-for-3
- Baker, who had the Owls’ only extra base hit, a double, was credited with two RBI while Orland and Amm added one each
- Defensively, centerfielder Cunningham threw out two attempting to score
- Abigail Morgan started in the circle for FAU, where he held ISU to two runs, both earned, scattering seven hits
- Lynn Gardner pitched the seventh and eighth, gave up three runs, two of which were earned and was charged with the loss
WHAT’S NEXT
The Owls will next play host to a doubleheader versus South Dakota on Friday, March 12 starting at 4 p.m. FAU will then host UCF for a three-game series with one game on Saturday, March 13 and a doubleheader the next day starting at 1 p.m. To follow the team socially, visit @fausoftball or for the most up-to-date information go to www.fausports.com.
