The Florida Atlantic University softball team defeated Florida International University 10-2 on March 25 in a midweek matchup, highlighted by three home runs and a strong pitching performance.
This win marks the first of two meetings between the teams for the 2026 season. The Owls improved their record to 22-11, while the Panthers moved to 23-9. Redshirt junior outfielder Kylie Hammonds led Florida Atlantic’s offense with two home runs, and senior pitcher Autumn Courtney struck out seven batters over nearly seven innings to earn her eleventh win of the year.
The game began with sophomore outfielder Bella Foran drawing a lead-off walk, followed by Hammonds hitting a home run to left field for an early two-run lead. FIU responded in the bottom of the first inning with a tying two-run homer. In the second inning, sophomore shortstop Hannah Rivers was hit by a pitch and later scored on Foran’s hit, giving FAU back the lead at 3-2.
Hammonds added her second homer in the fifth inning. Later that frame, redshirt senior Madison Inscoe doubled and scored on junior Ciara Gibson’s RBI single. Sophomore Lily Holtje came off the bench to hit her sixth home run of the season as FAU extended its advantage to 6-2.
FIU loaded the bases in their half of the sixth but Courtney recorded her seventh strikeout to end that threat. The Owls then added four more runs in their final at-bat through timely hits and Panther errors, including redshirt senior McKenna Mulholland’s two-RBI single and senior Yani Guzman’s sacrifice fly.
After this game, Hammonds now has nine home runs this season—more than any Owl player achieved during all of last year—and it is her second multi-homer game this season. Gibson recorded her first multi-hit game of this campaign; Foran has scored multiple times in two of her last three games; Courtney lowered her earned run average to 2.45, ranking third in The American Conference; and FAU set a new season-high with four players being hit by pitches.
Florida Atlantic will return home for a three-game series against UTSA starting Friday night at Joan Joyce Field.
