Thursday, May 11, 2006

BOCA RATON, Fla. -- Junior pitcher Meghan Doonan struck out a season-high 11 batters as Florida Atlantic went to 2-0 in the Atlantic Sun Conference Softball Championship with a 5-1 win over Campbell on Thursday evening at FAU Softball Stadium.

Doonan (8-1) allowed just one run on three hits and one walk. The right-hander had earlier recorded a save in FAU’s 1-0 win over East Tennessee State in the first round.

Florida Atlantic utilized a Camel error to its advantage in the first inning, scoring two unearned runs as a result. Senior Jessica Sachs opened the game with a walk and moved up two spots on a misplay at second base off the bat of junior Shauna Corso.

Sachs then scored on a sacrifice fly by senior Danielle Arriaga. Back-to-back wild pitches allowed Corso to advance home from first base to give Florida Atlantic a 2-0 edge. Sachs crossed home with the Owls’ third run, that tally coming in the third.

After her single to open the inning and a Jenna Lopez sacrifice bunt, Corso singled to center to drive in the run. Campbell finally got to Doonan in the fifth, as Stephenie Pappas recorded the first hit of the game for the Camels. After stealing second, Pappas came home on an Erica Willis single to center.

Florida Atlantic put single digits on the scoreboard in the sixth and seventh innings. Freshman Amy Bukovich started the sixth with a double and moved to third on a sacrifice by sophomore Charlotte Baird. A suicide squeeze by Sachs plated Bukovich.

In the seventh, freshman Kala Guy, a First Team All-Conference selection, delivered an RBI single to score pinch runner Marlene Lopez with the game’s final run. Sachs totaled two hits, two runs and an RBI in the game and Corso scored once and drove in one. Kelly Weaver (14-9) took the loss for Campbell, giving up the first three runs in 2 1/3 innings while striking out two and walking two.

Florida Atlantic (31-22) moves on in the winners’ bracket, awaiting an opponent and time to be announced pending the outcome of Thursday’s final game between Mercer and Stetson.

Release courtesy of FAU Athletic Communications