Softball Falls to FAU in 10-Inning Marathon, 6-3

Friday, February 15

Boca Raton, Fla.

6:00 PM

NC State

3-4

Florida Atlantic

NC State

Florida Atlantic

Softball Falls to FAU in 10-Inning Marathon, 6-3

2/15/2008 12:00:00 AM | Softball

Box Score

BOCA RATON, Fla. Becky Brandies hit a walk-off three-run homer in the bottom of the 10th-inning to put Florida Atlantic over NC State at the FAU “Strike-Out” Cancer Tournament on Friday, Feb. 15. Blair Harkey went 3-for-4 with a run scored in the two hour and 41 minute affair, the Pack’s longest of the year.

The decision sends State to 3-4 on the year, while Florida Atlantic moves to 2-3.

Mendy McKenzie (2-1) picked up her first loss from the circle in a red and white uniform, fanning 10 batters while pitching the entire contest. Amber Barton (2-1) secured the win for the Owls, collecting 12 k’s and allowing just one earned run.

Barton helped out her own cause by driving the first pitch out of the yard in left field to start the bottom of the second.

The Owls threatened again in the bottom of the third, but State held them off. Melissa Moore collected a two-out walk and Caitlyn Bliss reached on an error at third by Claudia Cooper, but McKenzie fanned Amy Bukovich to escape unharmed.

Harkey ripped her second single of the game through the left side to start the sixth, and then moved to second on a passed ball. Ashleigh Davis then sent Harkey to third with a grounder to third. Harkey later scored to tie the game at 1-all on a Shanna Smith sac-fly to right.

FAU took a brief 2-1 lead by adding another run in the bottom of the sixth. Bukovich ripped a single to third, and McKenzie countered by striking out Barton and Brandies. Lauren Crandall then singled up the middle, and a Kerri Croney grounder to third was bobbled, allowing Bukovich to score.

State, however, tied things immediately on back-to-back one-out doubles from Allison Presnell and Lacey Holm in the top of the seventh.

Harkey reeled in another of her sensational trademark defensive plays in the bottom of the eighth. With one out and the winning run on third, Brandies drilled a fly ball to center, which Harkey pulled in. She then fired a laser of a throw to Holm behind the plate, nailing Bukovich on the line and preventing the would-be winning run from scoring.

McKenzie delivered a big-league performance with the Pack’s back against the wall in the bottom of the ninth. With one out and the game-winning run on third, she fanned two batters to send the game into the 10th inning.

With Holm on second and two outs in the top of the 10th, Harkey put runners on the corners with an infield single to short. Davis then came up big with a base hit back to short, sending Holm across the plate and giving State its first lead of the game at 3-2.

Bodenmiller started the bottom of the 10th on second for FAU, quickly taking third on a sac-bunt from Moore. Bliss then sent a high pop fly to shallow left, which Smith pulled in, but Bodenmiller scored to knot the score at 3-3. Bukovich followed by blooping a double into center, and Brandies ended the evening with a dinger over the wall in left.

State will return to action tomorrow, Saturday, Feb. 16, with two games at the FAU “Strike-Out” Cancer Tournament. The Pack will face Long Island at 9 a.m., later taking on Miami of Ohio at 1 p.m.