BOCA RATON, Fla. – The LIU softball team dropped two games on the first day of the FAU Strikeout Cancer Tournament, falling to Illinois State, 8-0, and to North Florida, 4-2. Junior Victoria Lowe had a home run in game two to lead the Sharks offensively.
 
LIU vs. Illinois State
The first game of the game got started in favor of Illinois State right away, as the leadoff batter hit a home run to give the Redbirds a 1-0 lead. They'd add three runs in the top of the third on an RBI double and an error, and another home run in the fourth gave them a 5-0 lead.

The Redbirds would add two runs in the top of the seventh to make it 8-0. Junior Ciara Granado would double in the bottom of the inning to give the Sharks a shot at scoring, but Illinois State's pitcher would get the final strikeout, handing LIU an 8-0 loss.
 
Sophomore pitcher Morgan Day held LIU to just two hits and no runs in 7.0 innings, while striking out 10. Elena Valenzuela (2-4) had the loss on the mound for LIU.
 
LIU vs. UNF
The Sharks got some offense going in the second game of the day, but not enough to earn a win, as North Florida took the victory, 4-2. LIU would once again get set back early, as the Ospreys scored three runs on four hits in the bottom of the first inning.
 
Junior Victoria Lowe would get the Sharks on the board in the top of the second inning, when she hit her first collegiate home run in the leadoff spot; her dinger went over the left field fence to make it 3-1.
 
UNF would add a run in the bottom of the fifth, on two walks and two hits, to make it 4-1. The Sharks would add one more in the top of the seventh inning. Junior Alina Castillo had a leadoff single, and was advanced on two groundouts. She scored when sophomore Samantha Garcia hit an RBI single to right field. But it was not enough to overtake the Ospreys, and North Florida took the win, 4-2.
 
Up next, the Sharks play another two games Saturday, taking on local rival Hofstra and host FAU, in games scheduled to start at 2:30 p.m. and 4:45 p.m.