May 1, 2006

BOCA RATON, FL - The Florida Atlantic University softball team closed regular season Atlantic Sun play by sweeping North Florida 5-4 and 7-6 in two dramatic one-run games at FAU Softball Stadium on Monday evening.

Florida Atlantic overcame a 4-1 deficit in the opener with four runs in the fifth inning. The Owls then held off the Ospreys in the nightcap despite four runs in the final two innings for the visitors.

FAU totaled nine extra-base hits among its 18 hits in the doubleheader. Eight of those multi-base hits helped to produce runs for the Owls.

Game 1: Florida Atlantic 5, North Florida 4

Final Stats

Florida Atlantic scored four runs in the fifth and took advantage of timely extra-base hits to rally for a 5-4 win over North Florida in the opener. All four doubles by the Owls either drove in runs or became runners that eventually scored.

A solo run in the second got the Owls on the board. Freshman Kala Guy (Hollywood, Fla.) roped a double to left center with one out and, then one out later, classmate Amy Bukovich (Boca Raton, Fla.) dropped a fly ball into right center for a two-bagger and RBI.

Kelli Rutenbard scored the first two runs of the game for UNF. She reached on a walk with one out in the third and, one out and three errors later, crossed home plate to tie the game at 1-1.

Rutenbard led off the fifth with a single and moved to second on a sacrifice. The inning then took off for the Ospreys with a walk, single, consecutive walks and another single in the next five batters, giving UNF a 4-1 advantage.

Florida Atlantic responded in the bottom of the stanza, scoring four runs on four hits. Bukovich started the inning with a single and moved to third on double off the left field wall by sophomore Charlotte Baird (Hendersonville, Tenn.).

A single to right field by junior Jenna Lopez (Orangeburg, N.Y.) scored Baird and pinch runner Christine Houghtaling (Miami, Fla.). A hit-by-pitch and groundout put Lopez and junior Shauna Corso (Seal Beach, Calif.) on second and third.

Junior Mandie Fishback (Banks, Ore.) then crushed a double to left center to give FAU the lead and close out the scoring.

Junior Jen Musillo (Tequesta, Fla.) surrendered just four hits and gave up three earned runs in throwing the complete game. She matched her career highs with 11 strikeouts and seven walks in moving to 9-7 on the year.

Bukovich had a career-high three hits, scoring once and driving in one run. Lopez and Fishback each had two RBIs, while Sachs collected two hits and set the school record for at-bats with the 805th of her career.

Tori Ahern (9-11) took the loss, allowing five runs and striking out five while walking none. She was responsible for nine hits in the game.

Game 2: Florida Atlantic 7, North Florida 6

Final Stats

Florida Atlantic scored four runs in the first and added three in the fifth to stave off a furious rally by UNF 7-6. The Owls' Miami connection did much of the damage, with senior Danielle Arriaga, sophomore Melissa Moore and the freshman Houghtaling totaling five hits with five RBIs and three runs.

Arriaga scored one of Florida Atlantic's four runs in the first while also driving in another with her double. Her run crossed the plate on a Moore double with two outs.

Arriaga also led off the fifth inning with a single. She later scored on a Fishback double, while Houghtaling sealed the FAU win with her first career home run, a two-run shot, to make the score 7-2 after five innings.

Junior Meghan Doonan (Wallingford, Conn.) recorded the victory in the nightcap, moving to 7-1 on the year while allowing four runs on four hits and three walks. She struck out four in four innings of relief.

All four extra-base hits drove in runs for Florida Atlantic, with three of those batters eventually scoring as well. Kelli Pitts gave up seven runs on eight hits in 4 2/3 innings to fall to 9-7 for UNF (28-27, 9-9 A-Sun).

Florida Atlantic (28-22, 15-5 A-Sun) closes out the regular season at home on Wednesday with a non-conference affair against Florida International at 7:00 p.m.