HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Florida Atlantic University and Marshall University opened the four-game series Friday with a pitcher’s duel that ended 1-0 in favor of the Thundering Herd. On Saturday, the two teams played a doubleheader that gave fans all they could ask for and more.
In the first game, the two teams combined to use seven pitchers and hit seven homers. The second game took nine innings before a decision was made. The Owls (9-25, 4-7 Conference USA) won the first 11-9 and lost the second 8-7.
JOYCE’S TAKE
“We played pretty well against them today,” said Joan Joyce, FAU’s head coach. “Even yesterday, we played well. It was a four-hitter for us and a three-hitter for them. We pitched well, but today we ran out of pitching. Lynn [Gardner] did an awesome job. She pitched 12 innings, [and after a complete game Friday] that is a little tough. Marshall had three players that were just impossible to get out. We fought. We came back late in the first game to win and lost it in the late part of the second game. I was really happy with the way that we played.”
HOW IT HAPPENED
Game 1
FAU gave up three runs in the bottom of the first inning and based on Friday’s action it looked nearly unrecoverable, but in the top of the second, rightfielder Caryssa Orland led off with a single. One out later, she advanced to third on a misplayed bunt that also put Gretchen Ebert on second. Kaitlynn Cunningham, the team’s leadoff hitter, was hit by a pitch to load the bases, ahead of a Sara Berthiaume bases-clearing double. With the score tied at three, senior catcher Kaitlyn Burke hit the first of her two homers to give the Owls a 5-3 lead.
Marshall responded in the bottom of the inning with a homer that cleared the rightfield fence and smashed a hole in a bystander’s windshield. The Owls’ responded with four runs in the top of the third. With two outs and runners on second and third, pinch hitter Bailey Story hit a two RBI double down the leftfield line. Cunningham then connected with her first collegiate homer to put the Owls up 9-4.
Marshall would respond in the bottom of the third with two. Burke went long for the second time in the game and fifth time of her season in the top of the fourth, Marshall responded with two in the bottom frame to pull within one at 10-9 FAU.
The fifth inning was the first inning that neither team scored. But that changed in the sixth with the Owls using three hits to score Maya Amm and put FAU up 11-9, which would hold for the game’s final.
Game 2
The two teams were scoreless in the first. FAU’s freshman first baseman Zoey Jones scored the game’s first run with a two-out blast to straightaway center. It was matched in the bottom half of the inning by Marshall, who would add two runs in the third and two runs in the fifth to appear to be in control of the game at 5-1.
Burke hit a one-out single and was replaced by pinch runner Maddie Carlock. Amm followed with a single, placing runners on first and second for Myah Murray to join the home run club with a three-run blast to left.
Marshall was held scoreless in the bottom of the frame and entered the top of the sixth holding a 5-4 lead. Owls’ shortstop Sommer Baker singled to center, Cunningham singled to short and the duo advanced on a sacrifice bunt. With runners on second and third, Marshall elected to intentionally walk Burke to load the bases. An Amm single drove in Baker to even the score at 5-5. A wild pitch would advance each of the runners, including Cunningham, who slid across home to put the Owls up 6-5, and Murray would make it 7-5 with a sac fly to center scoring Amm. But the bottom half of the inning would see the Thundering Herd plate two to tie the game and send it to extra innings.
The eighth was scoreless and the Owls would go down in order in the top of the ninth. The bottom half of the inning saw Marshall earn a baserunner following a hit by pitch and then see her score on a two-out double to end the extra inning game as the 8-7 winner.
STATISTICALLY
Game 1
- Four Owls recorded multiple hits: Cunningham (2-for-4), Berthiaume (2-for-5), Burke (2-for-5) and Murray (2-for-4)
- Berthiaume and Burke were credited with three RBI each
- Doubles were hit by Cunningham, Berthiaume and Story (1-for-1)
- Homers were hit by Cunningham and Burke (two)
- Abigail Morgan started for the Owls and surrendered the first three earned runs. Kara Lokeinsky, who picked up her first win of the season, saw 2.2 innings of work and Gardner tossed the final 4.1 innings for the save, her second of the season
Game 2
- Burke, Jones and Baker were each 2-for-4
- Jones and Murray were the two Owls to belt homers
- Gardner started the game for FAU and pitched the first five innings. Lokeinsky pitched the sixth. Gardner returned for the seventh and if it held the duo would have the odd scoring of Lokeinsky receiving the win and Gardner getting the save for a game she started, but Marshall had something to say about that, ultimately giving Gardner the loss after 7.2 innings of work
WHAT’S NEXT
The two teams have moved Sunday’s game up 30 minutes due to FAU’s flight schedule. Game time is now 11:30 a.m. To follow the team socially, visit @fausoftball or for the most up-to-date information go to www.fausports.com.
