Liam Rooney / Staff Writer
The FIU Softball team couldn’t top the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers, only claiming one victory in their four game conference series from April 30 to May 2.
This series was the final homestand of the year for the Panthers, as their 2021 season is nearing its end. The three losses this past weekend put FIU’s overall record at 13-24 and their conference record at 5-11, ranking the Panthers at dead last in Conference USA’s Eastern Division, and a spot in the C-USA tournament seems to be slipping away.
Dating back to the first ever matchup against WKU in 2008, FIU holds a record of six wins and eight losses in the overall series. In their last ten matchups, the Panthers have a 3-7 record, with their last wins being in 2015, 2016, and most recently on Sunday.
By the end of the second inning the Panthers found themselves down 5-1 on Friday. Shortstop Jessica Rivera’s first inning double scored outfielder Alexis Ross, which was FIU’s only run of the game.
WKU added 3 more runs in the fourth inning and added one more in the seventh, closing the game with a 7-1 win.
In game one of Saturday’s doubleheader, the Panthers cashed-in three runs in the third inning to jump out to an early 3-1 lead. Infielder Kayla Whitehead got things going with a two run single that scored Rivera and infielder Venessa Gallegos. Infielder Brianna Hill added a double that scored Whitehead, making the score 3-1.
FIU was unable to hold their lead however, as WKU got back into the game in the fourth and fifth innings. The Hilltoppers collected three runs over the two innings to finish the game on top and handed the Panthers a 4-3 loss.
The second game of Saturday’s doubleheader was a blowout loss from the very beginning.
WKU scored five runs in the first four innings, and FIU’s lone run of the game came in the fourth from Rivera as she crushed a solo home run. The Hilltoppers added five more runs over the next three innings, giving the Panthers a 10-1 loss.
FIU performed at their best on Sunday. After going down 1-0 in the first, the Panthers tied the game in the second, as infielder Tori Jones collected a single that scored Gallegos. In the third inning, Gallegos nabbed a single that drove in two runs, pushing the score to 3-1 in favor of FIU.
Pitcher Kallie Jones was dialed in for the Panthers, striking out three batters in her six innings of play. Allowing five hits, the defense was locked in as Jones only let the Hilltoppers score a single run. WKU added a run in the seventh, but it wasn’t enough as FIU secured a 3-2 victory.
Only one series remains for FIU this season as they travel to Murfreesboro, Tennessee to take on the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders. Game one is scheduled for Friday, May 7 at 6p.m., and a doubleheader is set for Saturday, May 8, followed by a game at noon on Sunday, May 9.
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