Florida Atlantic Box

BOCA RATON, Fla. - Florida Atlantic topped Kent State 5-0 Sunday in the third place game of the Strike Out Cancer Tournament. The Golden Flashes (5-9) left seven runners on base, while tournament host Owls came through with game changing two-out hits.

"We were just missing a clutch hit here or there," Head Coach Karen Linder said. "We've got to continue to improve at making adjustments at the plate and we need to do a better job of taking control of the game."

The Owls put up three runs in the top of the second, beginning with a two out triple by Kerri Croney. Freshman Lauren McNeil was then charged with an illegal pitch to score Croney.

KSU had a chance to respond in the second, putting its first two runners on, but starting pitcher Rose Gressley retired the next three, including two with strikeouts.

The score remained 3-0 until the fifth when Heather Barnes drove a two out RBI single up the middle. Croney knocked her second triple of the game in the seventh and scored on a sac fly.

The Flashes put their first three batterers on in the sixth with singles from senior Jess Carmichael and freshman Alex Marcantonio. However, Gressley sat down the next three and ended another threat.

Marcantonio went 1-for-2 with a walk Sunday and finished the weekend 6-for-11 with six walks and an on-base percentage of .722.

"Alex had a great weekend," Linder said. "She consistently does her job. And what we especially like about her is her versatility. She can do so many things. She's played outfield, shortstop and first already."

McNeil struck out a career-high eight batters.

"Lauren pitched better today," Linder said. "She was getting ahead in the count and got all of her pitches working."

The Golden Flashes will play five games in three days next weekend at the Marshall Invitational.