Softball duo earns conference accolades

By Cristhian Plasencia/Asst. Sports Director

Sophomore pitcher Shannon Saile and junior outfielder Jackie Schoff were named Conference USA Pitcher and Player of the Week, following their stellar performances against No. 4 ranked Florida (32-5) and the (16-19-1) Marshall Thundering Herd.

The Panthers managed to shut out the No. 4 Gators in the second game of the doubleheader, behind a complete team effort.

“Anytime you go into Gainesville and get a win, it’s a good accomplishment. That doesn’t happen often especially when you can shut them out,” said Head Coach Gator Rebhan. “We have to believe we can beat anyone. Hopefully, this will help us get hot, start putting together some wins and stay hot.”

Saile won Conference USA Pitcher of the Week for the second time in this season. She went 2-0 with ace-pitching performances against Florida and Marshall.

Sophomore pitcher Shannon Saile (6) hurls out a pitch in the Felsberg Inviational this past weekend at the FIU Softball Stadium. (Photo courtesy of FIU Athletics)

In the 12 innings she pitched, Saile struck 14 batters out. She allowed only three earned runs, and pitched a complete shutout in Gainesville. The sophomore ranks ninth in the nation in strikeouts with 173, only six strikeouts behind number four-ranked Arizona St’s Giselle Juarez.

The sophomore pitcher places second for the most wins in Conference USA with a 1.82 ERA only second to Middle Tennessee’s Sarah Pinkston. The ace pitcher leads the conference in batters struck out with 185 and batters struck out looking with 48.

On the offensive side, Schoff won the Player of the Week award. She batted .579 (11-of-19), smacked three doubles, and secured seven RBIs and four runs.

Schoff drove in the first run after her single to right field drove in Tatyana Forbes. Then, Kassandra Castle’s fourth home run of the season plated Schoff, giving FIU a 3-0 lead against the Gators.

Junior outfielder Jackie Schoff (9) prepares to swing against Hofstra on Feb. 11, 2018 at the FIU Softball Stadium. (Nicholas Poblete/Panther Press)

The junior extended FIU’s lead in the second inning, this time, with a two-run double down the left-field line putting the Panthers ahead, 5-0.

Schoff slugged mostly every chance she was at bat against FIU’s three game series at Marshall. She totaled nine hits, with a brace of doubles. In the finale, the junior hammered four hits out of five. She leads Conference USA with the most hits with 55 and fourth in doubles with 10.

FIU will face Stetson in Deland, Fla on Wednesday at 6 p.m., and will return home on the weekend to play a two-game series versus conference USA rival Middle Tennessee.