TAMPA, Fla. – The FGCU Softball team (3-4) took on No. 11 Tennessee (6-0) of the Southeastern Conference and the University of Detroit (0-1) from the Horizon League during the first day of play at the USF President's Day Weekend Tournament on Friday. The Eagles split the two games, falling to the Volunteers by a 9-0 count before beating the Titans 12-2.

"The games were mirror images of each other," said head coach David Deiros. "The first game we played out of character and did not do the things we needed to do against a very good softball team. We gave them extra opportunities and they took advantage of that. In the second game we played in character of FGCU, as we were the ones taking advantage of extra opportunities that were given to us. We need to play the game the way we know how to and we will start seeing more results. There is no rest for the weary as we play two very good ball clubs in Fordham and St. John's tomorrow and we have to come out and play well."

The Eagles were unable to put much together against Tennessee as they had only two hits the entire game. However, the offense came alive in the second game of the day as they hung 12 runs on Detroit, scoring in four out five innings.  

GAME ONE
The Eagles' first game of the tournament against No. 11 Tennessee needed only five innings to be decided. The Volunteers scored a total of six runs in the first inning which included five unearned runs that occurred after a throwing error with two outs from the shortstop. Two runs scored on the play involving the error which was followed by a triple to left that scored two more and a single that scored the final run of the inning.

The Green and Blues' only hits in the game came from senior Kelsey Carpenter (Oviedo, Fla./Hagerty HS) when she singled to the right side in the bottom of the first and to left field in the fourth.  Tennessee would score again in the third and fifth innings to give them a 9-0 win.

The Eagles sent Shelby Morgan (High Springs, Fla./Sante Fe HS) to the circle to start her third game of the season against the Volunteers. The senior pitched three innings, gave up eight runs, three earned, eight hits, struck out one and walked three to pick up her first loss of the season (1-1).  Junior Ashley Dobson (Wheatfield, Ind./Kankakee Valley High School) pitched two relief innings allowing two hits, one run and struck out two.

GAME TWO
The Green and Blues' bats came alive in game two against The Titans of Detroit as they won by a 12-2 margin. Sophomore Taylor Wade (Pace, Fla./Pace HS) pitched a complete game for the Eagles, allowing three hits, two runs, one earned, striking out three and walking three.

The Eagles came out of the gates hot, scoring two runs in the top of the first. Kelsey Huff (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla./Dwyer High School) led the game off and was hit by a pitch to reach first,  she would then advance to second when Makensie McAvoy (Plant City, Fla./Plant City HS) reached on a walk. Carpenter then made it to first on a fielder's choice with Huff called out at third on the play. Chandler Middlebrook (Auburndale, Fla./Auburndale High School)  loaded the bases after a walk before two runs scored via walks when Brittany McGuire (Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla./Ponte Vedra High School)  and Jeanie Verderese (Jacksonville, Fla./Creekside HS) both took base on balls.

Detroit would score its first run of the game in the bottom half of the inning from an error off the catcher when she tried to throw out a runner stealing third to make the score 2-1. The Eagles would load the bases again off of two singles and a walk before Huff scored on a throwing error from the third baseman. The Titans scored their final run of the game in the bottom of the second when Severson hit a homerun to leftfield.

Verderese started the third inning with a double to left center and advanced to third on a wild pitch. After Brianne Innamorato (Mullica Hill, N.J./Bishop Eustace High School) reached on a walk, Verderese scored on a fielding error from the second baseman that allowed Kori Dunn (Chuluota, Fla./Lake Howell High School) to reach base with Innamorato out at second on the play. Huff then singled to center which advanced Dunn to third. McAvoy loaded the bases with a walk which brought Carpenter to the plate. The senior drove in Huff and Dunn on a single to left, and then advance to second on the throw. Middlebrook tacked on the fourth and fifth runs of the inning with a single through the left side.

The Green and Blue did not stop there as they scored four more in the fourth to make it 12-2. Verderese led the inning with a walk and reached second on a wild pitch. Innamorato would advance Verderese to third with a bunt single before being replaced by pinch runner Carissa LiCata (Okeechobee, Fla./Okeechobee High School).  Dunn came to the plate and smacked a double to left center that scored Verderese and LiCata. Huff would reach first on a bunt single that advanced Dunn to third before stealing second base. Dunn then scored on a fielding error from the shortstop and Huff scored on a sac fly from Carpenter for the final run of the game.

FGCU will resume play at the USF President's Day Tournament on Saturday, Feb. 14 when they play St. John's at 9 a.m. and Fordham at 1:30 p.m.

THE SCHEDULE

Friday, Feb. 13

No. 11 Tennessee: 9 FGCU: 2
FGCU: 12 Detroit: 2

Saturday, Feb 14

9 a.m. St. John's vs. FGCU
1:30 p.m. Fordham vs. FGCU

Sunday, Feb 15

2 p.m. USF vs. FGCU

OTHER SCORES AT TOURNAMENT
Fordham: 3 St. John's: 0
No. 11 Tennessee: 5 Fordham: 0
USF: 4 St. John's: 2

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 enters 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 .695 (492-215-3). 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