BOCA RATON, Fla. – The Florida Atlantic University Owl softball team picked up two Sunday wins, both over UTEP. FAU clinched the three-game series with a 2-1 eight-innings win, in game one of the day and completed the series sweep with a 5-1 victory in the day’s second matchup.
The series sweep is the second in as many weeks and gives the Owls a 29-13 record overall and an 11-4 record in Conference USA play. The 29 wins matches FAU’s 2022-win total with nine games remaining on the 2023 regular-season schedule.
GAME ONE
FAU and UTEP played scoreless softball through four innings with the visiting Miners scoring their lone run in the top of the fifth. UTEP held the lead and held FAU at bay with multiple balls caught on the warning track until the bottom of the seventh.
Becca Jones hit a one-out single to left and then scored on a Riley Olson RBI triple to left. Lynn Gardner, who started in the circle for FAU, returned to the mound to retire UTEP one-two-three in the top of the eighth. Jesiana Mora continued to stay hot at the plate with a triple down the right field line and then scored on a game-winning RBI single up the middle by Zoey Jones.
NOTES/NOTABLE
- Mora was 3-for-4 in the game with triple and a run scored
- Becca Jones was 2-for-3 with a run scored
- Gardner earned the eight-inning complete game win, moving to 8-5 in 2023. She struck out six, walked two and stranded five UTEP baserunners
GAME TWO
The Owls returned to the field for game two of the day and the hot bats carried over from game one’s late innings by scoring the game’s first run in the bottom of the first. Cammeo Presutti, who has played in all 42 FAU games this season and who has reached safely in 34 of those games, led off with a single to left. She was sacrificed to second by Olivia Peterson and scored on a Mora single to right. The 1-0 lead held until the top of the third when the Miners drew a bases loaded walk for their only run of the game.
FAU responded in the bottom of the inning with one run and took advantage of a UTEP two-out miscue to score three runs. Gabby Sacco tossed her 12th complete game, second game in as many days, and earned her 17th win of 2023 as opposed to just three losses.
NOTES/NOTABLE
- Presutti was 2-for-3 with two runs scored
- Mora was 2-for-2 with two RBI and finished the three-game series batting .700, going 7-for-10
- Olson was 2-for-3 with two runs scored and she was 4-for-8 in the UTEP series with two RBI, a homerun, a triple and three runs scored
- Sacco scattered three hits in the win and ended the weekend with two starts, two complete games and two wins. She improved her ERA to 1.28 on the year
NEXT UP
The Owls will travel to WKU for a three-game C-USA series. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m. EST, Friday, April 21. The two teams will then play at 2 p.m. on both Saturday, April 22 and Sunday, April 23.
TICKETS
Fans may purchase tickets online or at FAU’s softball stadium.
FOLLOW THE OWLS
For the Owls’ complete schedule, click HERE. To follow the team socially, visit @fausoftball, or for the most up-to-date information go to www.fausports.com.
