Jayda Hall/ Contributing Writer
The softball team may not have started off the Felsberg Invitational as planned, but it ended the invitational how real champions should have.
On Thursday, Feb. 26, FIU went against Siena College at 4:30 p.m. and Central Connecticut State University at 7 p.m.
During the first game against Siena, the first inning went smoothly for the Panthers. Ashley Belans, sophomore infielder, took Siena out at second base after the team had a walk to first.
Jackie Schoff, freshman outfielder, lead the bottom of the first and earned the team it’s first hit and run of the game. Stephanie Texeira, junior infielder, earned her first RBI and the team’s last hit of the first inning.
The game took an immediate turn in the second inning when one of Siena’s players earned the team its first run, which now had both teams tied at one run a piece.
At first, FIU fought to keep Siena from reaching first base. Siena, however, managed to make it all the way to second and then straight home after an FIU outfielder failed to catch the ball in time.
FIU went another inning without scoring while Siena got another run off three hits. Texeira led the bottom of the fourth with a walk to first. She successfully stole second base after Siena’s second baseman missed the catch. But the action ended there for FIU until bottom of the fifth inning.
Hunter Scharf, junior left-handed pitcher, came into pitch after Rachel Dwyer, sophomore right-handed pitcher, pitched for the first four innings. A couple of balls uncaught by FIU helped Siena score two additional runs making the score 5-1.
Nevertheless, the Panthers fought to catch up to Siena. Kaitlyne Musa, sophomore catcher, was the first to score a run in the fifth since the first inning.
“I felt happy when I scored because I wanted to do anything possible to help my team get ahead to win,” Musa said.
Schoff was next to score a run after she stole second base then secured third after Musa scored.
“I just keep playing the game and helping my teammates, that’s it,” she said.
Ashley Leon, junior infielder, was next and last to score a run for FIU.
The Panthers managed to catch up to Siena, making the score 5-4 at the top of the sixth, but it still wasn’t enough to beat Siena.
The Panthers’ loss didn’t hold the team back for the entire night, though. Central Connecticut State University went against a team that learned from its mistakes and was ready to bring home the win.
FIU went from losing to Siena by one run to defeating CCSU by 10 runs.
A couple of errors made by FIU set CCSU up for a run in the first inning. That run, however, would be the first and last run that CCSU made for the rest of the game.
Leon lead the bottom of the first and scored a run after stealing second base. She scored three runs, and Texeira scored two and finished with 6 RBI.
The final score for the game was 10-1. FIU played CCSU again on Saturday, Feb. 27, and Siena on Sunday, Feb. 28, defeating both teams.
“We just have to keep the positivity and play the game as hard as we can,” Musa said.
The Panthers now hold a record of 11-5, and will move on to play at the UF Invitational, which starts on Friday, March 4, against Illinois State University.
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