BOCA RATON, Fla. – “It ain’t over ’til it’s over” is said a lot in the sporting world. On Saturday, the old adage proved to be true in the Florida Atlantic University softball team’s wild comeback win over UTSA.
The Owls had their backs against the wall, trailing 10-3 in the final inning, but FAU came all the way back with a massive seven-run seventh inning. In the eighth inning, FAU completed the improbable comeback with a Kaitlyn Cunningham walk-off RBI single.
UTSA appeared to have game two of the three-game set in the bag with a seven-run lead heading into the bottom of the seventh. The Owls did not give up and roared all the way back with a huge rally.
In the seventh, FAU loaded up the bases with the first three batters, then Lynn Gardner delivered a pinch-hit single to get the first run in. The next batter was Olivia Peterson, who blasted a bases-clearing double to the right center field gap to pull FAU within 10-7.
Even with four runs in and no outs, the Owls still needed some more runs, and it was almost like two rallies in one. Cammeo Presutti and Sommer Baker worked back-to-back walks, then Riley Ennis scored Peterson with an RBI groundout.
That brought up Sara Berthiaume in a clutch situation, with FAU down to its last out. Berthiaume, the Owls’ leading hitter, drove a double to left field that bounced off the wall. Maya Amm scored from third, and Ennis came flying around the base paths and slid headfirst to home tie the game.
Donnie Gobourne kept the Roadrunners off the scoreboard in the top of the eighth, and the Owls’ completed the insane comeback in the bottom half of the inning.
Myah Murray started the eighth inning right with a base hit up the middle. The FAU third baseman went 3-for-5 today, her first three-hit game of the year. Following Murray’s base knock, Peterson got on with a single, then Amm reached after getting hit by a pitch.
Cunningham put an exclamation mark on the ridiculous comeback with a walk-off base hit. The Owls were once again down to two outs, but Cunningham pounced on the first hit she saw and lifted it to left center field to score Murray and cap off the insane win. Cunningham extended her hitting streak to nine games with a 2-for-5 day.
The 13 hits tied the single-game high this season for FAU, led by Berthiaume and Murray’s three, alongside Peterson and Cunningham’s two.
Gobourne got the win in the circle, recording a season-high 13 strikeouts. Gobourne started the game and left after the second inning, but returned to close it out and get her third win of the season.
The Owls will wrap up the home season tomorrow, with the final game of this series at 1 p.m. FAU will hold Senior Day prior to the game, with the ceremony starting at 12:30.
To stay up to date on all things FAU softball, follow FAU on social media @FAUSoftball.
