FORT MYERS, Fla. – After winning the FGCU/Four Points by Sheraton Spring Break Classic this past weekend, the FGCU softball team (14-12) will get a day to recover before hosting Pittsburgh and Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in doubleheader action Tuesday, Mar. 10. The first game against the Panthers is scheduled at 4:45 p.m. and the second game against the Cougars will start at 7 p.m.
 
LAST TIME OUT
FGCU claimed the FGCU/Four Points by Sheraton Spring Break Classic this past weekend after going 4-1 in the tournament, including an eight-inning win over Pittsburgh by a score of 4-2 in the championship game. The Eagles had a great weekend in the batters box as the Green and Blue amassed 22 runs in five contests, while scoring no less than four runs in four of those. In the circle, FGCU was also superb as the Eagle's pitching staff allowed 11 runs in five games, including a pair of one-run games and a combined shutout performance from Taylor Wade (Pace, Fla./Pace HS) and Shelby Morgan (High Springs, Fla./Sante Fe HS) against Quinnipiac.
 
Senior Kelsey Carpenter (Oviedo, Fla./Hagerty HS) leads the Eagles' offensive effort as FGCU's everyday centerfielder bats .343 with 19 runs, 18 RBI and a pair of long balls through 26 games this season. Alexis Ross(Cape Coral, Fla./Ida S. Baker HS), Jeanie Verderese (Jacksonville, Fla./Creekside HS) and Chandler Middlebrook (Auburndale, Fla./Auburndale HS) stay right behind Carpenter with 13 RBI each. Freshman Kelsey Huff (Jacksonville, Fla./Creekside HS) leads the team in batting with .386 average while scoring 18 runs and stealing 16 bases.
 
Morgan leads the Eagles' pitching staff with a 2.55 ERA in 57.2 innings pitched. The senior is 5-1 on the season while throwing five complete games this season. Junior Ashley Dobson (Wheatfield, Ind./Kankakee Valley HS) provides plenty of strikeouts for the Eagles, leading the team with 39 Ks in 48.2 innings pitched while earning a 2.73 ERA with a 5-2 record on the season.
 
SCOUTING PITT
Pittsburgh (19-3) finished the FGCU/Four Points by Sheraton Spring Break Classic with a 4-1 record. The Panthers won four in a row before falling against FGCU in the championship game in eight innings. At the plate, Pittsburgh is led by Shelby Pickett who is hitting .451 with 37 hits, three homeruns, 24 runs batted in and is slugging .707. McKayla Taylor is the second threat in the Panthers lineup with six homers, 20 RBI while hitting .394. Savannah King has been the work horse in the circle pitching 70 innings and compiling an 11-1 record with a 1.60 ERA. Kayla Harris has also pitched 54 innings with a 6-2 record and an ERA of 2.20.
 
SCOUTING SIUE
The Cougars of SIUE are 15-4 on the season, coming into the Tuesday's contest with a six-game win streak. SIUE is led by Haley Chambers who is hitting .433 with 26 hits, four homeruns, 15 runs batted in and is slugging .733. Haley Chambers has also been the work horse in the circle pitching 72 innings and compiling a 9-2 record with a 1.35 ERA. Baylee Douglass has also pitched 35 innings with a 4-1 record and an ERA of 1.00.
 
NEXT UP
The Eagles will open up Atlantic Sun Conference play at UNF this Saturday, Mar. 14 and Sunday, Mar. 15 for a trio of contests. The doubleheader on Saturday is slated for 1 and 3 p.m. before the series finale on Sunday at 1 p.m.
 
For up-to-the minute information on the FGCU softball program, follow on Twitter @FGCU_Softball and Instagram at fgcusoftball and stay tuned at FGCUAthletics.com.
 
The founding father of FGCU softball, David Deiros is in his 13th season as head coach. Hired in 2001 to build the program from the dirt up, Deiros has since guided the Eagles to 11 seasons with a winning record, eight campaigns with 35+ wins and a win percentage of  .691 (503-223-3). The 2014 Eagles finished with a 33-26-1 and wins over SEC, Big 10, Big East, and ACC opponents.  FGCU finished their season with an RPI ranking in the top-100 for the 3rd consecutive season and the 5th time in their seven years at Division I. Deiros is a former head coach at the 1998 Florida State Runner-up Lely High School in Naples and is the founding head coach of the 1999 District Champion/2001 Regional Runner-up Gulf Coast High School in Naples