April 11, 2003

Troy State 10, FAU 8 (Box Score and Play-by-Play)

FAU 2, Troy State 1 (Box Score and Play-by-Play)

TROY, AL -- Florida Atlantic University began a stretch of six road games in three days in a doubleheader split at Troy State University. Troy State held on for a 10-8 win in game win before FAU came back to win, 2-1, in the second game. Pam Mazzarella and Ebony Gray each had three hits on the day. Gray also homered twice while Mazzarella added a homer.

After falling 10-8 in game one, FAU came from behind in game two with one swing of the bat. Trailing 1-0 heading to the sixth, Gray blasted a one-out, two-run homer to right center to put FAU on top 2-1. Amanda Morin (10-11), who picked up the win, did not allow another run to give FAU the split.

In game one, FAU entered the seventh inning trailing 10-3 but rallied for five runs and put the potential tying run at the plate. After scoring a run on a fielder's choice, FAU pulled to within 10-4. Mazzarella followed with a three-run homer to left center that made it 10-7 Troy State. With still only one out, Callie Piper reached on an error and later scored on a two-out error to make it 10-8. That's as close as the Lady Owls would get.

Earlier in the game, Troy State scored three unearned runs in the first to take a quick 3-0 lead. The Lady Trojans later added two runs in the third to lead 5-0. FAU scored twice in the fourth. Piper drove in Mazzarella with a double and later scored on a groundout by Amy Bellisari.

TSU took a 7-2 lead in the bottom of the fourth with two more runs. In the fifth, Ebony Gray led off with a home run to left center to make it 7-3. TSU continued its offensive with a run in the fifth and two in the sixth to take what looked to be a comfortable 10-3 lead heading to the seventh.

Candice Freel (13-8) suffered the loss. She allowed eight runs, five earned, on nine hits in five innings of work. She struck out two and walked two.

Gray's two homers give her a team-leading four on the year. Mazzarella's round-tripper was her third.

Friday's action puts FAU's record at 25-22 overall and 7-1 in the Atlantic Sun Conference. Troy State moves to 30-17 overall and 8-3 in the A-Sun. Despite the first game loss, FAU remains in first place in the conference.

Florida Atlantic next faces Mercer in a Saturday afternoon doubleheader beginning at 4:30pm in Macon, GA.