Cassandra Chincoya | Staff Writer
A series sweep of Kennesaw State (7-29 total, 3-12 CUSA) was just what the doctor ordered to help Softball get back on its feet following an extended stretch of inconsistency through the month of March.
One blowout win started the series and it was capped off in another blowout win, with a tightly contested extra inning 5-4 brawl on the afternoon of April 3 shifting series momentum in the Panthers favor.
What helped solidify these wins for the Panthers was defeating what had been plaguing them all season, their inability to close out games.
Game 1 saw no scoring through the first 3 innings.
In the 4th, FIU exploded for 3 runs off a Paige Miller single and Kendal Catherwood’s heroic effort to steal home base.
Kennesaw State responded with a two run homer off pitcher Brooke McNichols in the sixth to keep the score even but wouldn’t get much closer than that with the Panthers’ 4 run onslaught to end the inning.
Game 2 looked as though the Panthers might succumb to their bad habits once more.
What was a 2 run lead in the fifth eroded by the seventh as the Panthers clung on to a tie and despite a last ditch effort by Leah Clark, the game went into a rare eighth go around the diamond.
Pitcher Meagan Villazon with the help of the infield sat down the eighth inning lineup in order to give the Panthers a chance.
Kennedy Byrd, who played most of the game as the Panthers’ starting pitcher, hit a double to right center to drive in two runners and put the game away.
Game 3 was a competitive game for 3 innings before FIU was gifted three unearned runs alongside a Kendal Catherwood score to end things without the need of a full seventh inning.
The Panthers (26-12 total, 8-7 CUSA) have reasserted themselves in conference standings as they continue to make a late season push to turn their fortunes around.
A visit to the bayou to take on Louisiana Tech could be the sparkplug to keep things rolling.
With the CUSA conference championships less than a month away, the Panthers will need every win they can get.
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