Feb. 4, 2001

Box Score

TAMPA, FL - Difficult and more difficult is the early season scheduling strategy for head coach Joan Joyce and Florida Atlantic University's softball team. The team opened the 2001 season, like each of the past five seasons, at the University of South Florida pre-season ranked only tournament. After four games, the Lady Owls are 2-2.

Late Saturday, FAU, ranked no. 26 by USA Today, fell 3-2 after 10 innings to the University of Hawaii. With the game tied at two a runner was placed on second in the top of the 10th. Hawaii advanced to third on a sacrifice and scored the winning run on a wild pitch.

Offensively, Kristen Stanley led the Owls with a homer. Ninya Ybarra was 1-for-2 with a run scored and Kim Nicosia had the team's only other hit.

FAU returned to the field Sunday afternoon to defeat the University of Tennessee 3-0 after Nicole Myers held the Vols to just three hits to improve to 2-1 on the season, behind an 11 strikeout effort. FAU managed just four hit. Michelle Shirah had two, Myers added one and newcomer Jaime Sawyer had the team's fourth.