DRC: FIU sweeps UNT in doubleheader

[GreenBat]

Softball: Florida International mows down UNT in doubleheader

Golden Panthers pitcher sets two school strikeout records

09:05 AM CDT on Sunday, April 10, 2005

By Brett Vito / Staff Writer

Florida International’s Tiffany Ore had not pitched in nearly three weeks when she took the mound for the second game of a doubleheader against North Texas on Saturday afternoon.

If there was any rust left from the layoff, the Mean Green couldn’t detect it in both team’s Sun Belt Conference opener.

Ore struck out the first 12 batters she faced in her initial outing after recovering from a shoulder injury and set a pair of school records in a 5-0 win over the Mean Green at Denia Park. The win put an exclamation point on the end of a dominating performance by Golden Panthers, who won the first game of the day 5-3.

The sweep left UNT (7-22, 0-2) in the midst of an eight-game losing streak heading into a doubleheader against FIU (24-16, 2-0) at noon today that will complete the weekend series.

"We didn’t show any intensity today," UNT coach Kelly Burns said. "We talked to them about picking that intensity up."

Ore took advantage of a lackluster performance by UNT to earn a place in the FIU record books. The junior broke the Golden Panthers’ record for consecutive strikeouts in a game of nine set by Erin McCutcheon in a game against Campbell in 1998. She also set a new school record for strikeouts in a game with 17, one better than Leah Barnes’ school record of 16 set in a game against Palm Beach Atlantic in 2001.

UNT didn’t put a ball in play during the second game until third baseman Susan Waters grounded out to lead off the fifth inning. FIU’s infielders let Waters’ pop fly drop in foul territory to give Ore a second chance at extending her strikeout streak just a few pitches earlier.

Catcher Christen Jonse broke up Ore’s perfect game with a double to left field later in the fifth inning.

"It was tough to come back from that start," Jonse said. "We were not aggressive enough at the plate."

Burns said UNT let too many strikes go by early in the count and allowed Ore to rack up strikeouts with her rise ball.

Ore’s performance was all the more impressive considering a pinched nerve in her shoulder had kept her off the mound for an extended period.

"Tiffany had a lot of rest and that helped her today," FIU coach Kim Gwydir said. "She does not throw that hard, but she is deceptive. At the college level, it’s not about how hard you throw, it is about the movement on your pitches."

FIU pitcher Amanda Nealer helped set the tone for the series when she picked up the win in the first game for the Golden Panthers. Nealer struck out 10 batters, including six straight in the second and third innings.

One of the few highlights of the day for UNT came when the Mean Green scored three runs in the final three innings of the first game. Waters doubled and scored a run in the fifth inning.

Pinch hitter Brittiny Chapman added an RBI single in the seventh when UNT scored a pair of runs.

UNT was hoping to carry that run of success over to the second game while playing without one of its top players. First baseman Heather Bostic left the team after her brother died in a car accident on March 31. The sophomore attended the game, but did not play. She is expected to return to the team later this season.

UNT appeared as if it might get on track against FIU without Bostic in the second game of the series, but the Mean Green ran into Ore and promptly dug a hole they couldn’t escape.

"I was excited to pitch," Ore said. "I threw OK. I didn’t even think about the strikeouts during the game."

UNT thought a lot about them after the game and now faces a critical doubleheader today. The Mean Green will head out for eight consecutive conference games on the road after completing their series with the Golden Panthers and their pitchers who dominated the first two games of their series.

"Not to take anything away from their pitchers, but we swung at balls and took strikes," Burns said. "We have to start playing our game."

BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870.

Florida International 5, UNT 3

FIU 210 002 0 — 5 8 2

North Texas 000 010 2 — 3 5 2

Amanda Nealer and Marleah Stapf. Katy Maxey and Christen Jonse. WP – Nealer (13-9). LP – Maxey (1-7). 2B – FIU: Powell, Embry, Tippings, UNT: Waters. HR – FIU: Stapf.

Florida International 5, UNT 0

FIU 002 012 0 — 5 9 0

North Texas 000 000 0 — 0 2 0

Tiffany Ore and Jennifer Powell. Kristina Fowler, Morgan Monte (7) and Christen Jonse. WP – Ore (7-5). LP – Fowler (5-10). 2B – FIU: Ruiz, Ore. UNT: — Jonse. HR – FIU: Witherow. Records – UNT 7-22, 0-2; FIU 24-16, 2-0.

[pawgal02]

I went to the first game of the doubleheader on Sunday. The ladies did a great job even though FIU beat them. They made some nice plays and some great diving catches!