Florida Atlantic Softball (25-11) extended its winning streak to five, finishing the three-game series against the University of Texas at San Antonio (19-18) undefeated.
The Owls have historically performed well against UTSA, and this recent home showing proved no different. Since their first meeting in April 2015, a game FAU won 3-2, the Owls have maintained a strong 27-2 all-time advantage over UTSA.
This includes a 14-1 home record as well as a 10-win stretch in their past 10 matchups. The Owls have averaged six runs per game against UTSA with a total of 187 runs across all games.
Friday (March 27, 6 p.m.)
The Owls opened the series strong with a resolute 5-0 win. As a team, the Owls battled on both fronts of the diamond. Senior pitcher Autumn Courtney held down the mound through all seven innings. She threw six strikeouts while managing only one hit the entire game. Courtney also induced 12 fly-outs, allowing her fielders to impress defensively and holding her opponents scoreless.
Offensively, the Owls tallied six total hits in 25 at-bats for a .240 team batting average. Junior utility Ciara Gibson went 2-3 at the plate with two home runs. Her teammate Yani Guzman similarly shone with her sole appearance at bat, resulting in a two RBI home-run move, contributing to the team’s .640 slugging percentage.
Neither team managed a run in a tough first inning. The Owls swiftly broke through when Gibson homered beyond right-center field at the bottom of the second inning. Senior infielder Jesiana Mora then doubled to right-center field, which plated teammate Bella Foran in the third inning.
At the bottom of the fourth, Gibson again homered far past right-center field to promptly put the Owls ahead at 3-0. The defense continued to keep UTSA off the scoreboard in the fifth inning.
This led the way for the Owls to wrap up the scoring at the bottom of the sixth inning. Guzman homered beyond left field, which plated herself and teammate Kiley Shelton. The scoreline remained 5-0 through to the end of the seventh inning, clinching the Owls’ victory.
Saturday (March 28, 12 p.m.)
On the following day, the second game in the series opened with another quiet first inning. The scoring started in the second with both teams exchanging two runs each. UTSA freshman and outfielder Demiree Stafford singled up the middle and advanced to second on the throw, driving in teammates Katia Reyes and Samantha Mundine for two RBIs.
The Owls responded right back. Redshirt Senior McKenna Mulholland scored on a wild pitch while Guzman advanced to third base. Catcher Chloe Yeatts then hit a sacrifice fly out to right field, which brought Guzman home and leveled the score 2-2.
The Owls kept the momentum swinging with a 5-0 scoring run in the third inning. Gibson singled to center-field which plated Foran. This move also advanced teammates Lily Holtje and Kylie Hammonds to second and third base, respectively. Guzman then launched a grand-slam far past left center-field, which subsequently plated Gibson, Holtje, and Hammonds for four RBIs. This put the Owls ahead at 7-2.
The Owls would add one more run at the bottom of the fifth inning. The final score ended 8-2 in favor of FAU, who claimed their second win in two days.
As a team, the Owls tallied eight runs on eight hits with 25 at-bats, reaching base in roughly 42% of plate appearances, with a .320 team batting average and a .440 team slugging percentage. Gibson and Guzman led the offense, each going 2-3 at the plate while scoring twice.
Saturday (March 28, 3 p.m.)
Later the same day, the Owls closed out the three-game series with a 9-0 win. The scoring again started in the second inning. Yeatts singled up the middle, which plated Gibson. At the bottom of the third inning, the Owls went on an 8-0 run.
Gibson singled through to the right side, which advanced Holtje to second, Mora to third, and plated Hammonds. Guzman then walked to advance Gibson to second base and Holtje to third base. It subsequently plated Mora.
Mulholland was then hit by a wild pitch, which advanced Guzman to second, Gibson to third, and plated Holtje. Yeatts then singled this time through to the left side to advance Mulholland to second base and Guzman to third base. It also plated Gibson, who put the Owls ahead 5-0.
Foran then walked, which continued the run around the diamond. This move advanced Yeatts to second, Mulholland to third, and plated Guzman. Hammonds then hit a single up the middle to advance Foran to second base and Yeatts to third base and also plated Mulholland.
To cap off the scoring stretch, Mora singled through to the right side in a 2-RBI move. Both Foran and Yeatts plated, but Hammonds was unable to make it past third base. This now put the Owls ahead at 9-0. This scoreline would remain unchanged through the fifth inning, where the game ended prematurely due to the implementation of the “run-rule.”
For the second time in this three-game series, Courtney managed the mound for the entire game. She retired the UTSA offense in the shutout. Courtney faced 20 batters over 97 pitches with two strikeouts. Courtney also induced seven fly-outs and five ground-outs.
The Owls’ offense shone in an efficient performance. The team scored nine runs on eight hits in 18 at-bats. All of which contributed to a .444 team batting average and a .500 team slugging percentage. Hammonds was perfect at the plate, going 3-3 at bat with a run scored.
The Owls will head to Denton, Texas, for a three-game road series at Lovelace Stadium against the University of North Texas (20-16) from April 2-4.
Jacob Weeks is a Staff Writer for the University Press. Email him at [email protected] for more information on this or other stories.
