FORT MYERS, Fla. – After winning two games on Sunday, the FGCU softball team (8-9) improved its win streak to four games with a sweep in its doubleheader against Oakland (4-8) on Tuesday night. The Eagles took the first game by an 8-0 count, but would need a walk-off single in the second game to win 4-3.

Game two ended in dramatic fashion. With the game tied at 3-3 in the bottom of seventh with one out and the bases loaded, freshman Kasandra Castle (Lake Worth, Fla./Palm Beach Central HS) smacked a walk-off single into center for the 4-3 victory over the Golden Grizzles. Game one only needed five innings to be decided due to the run rule, with the Eagles scoring five in the second and three in the fourth to win 8-0.

During the two games, senior Kelsey Carpenter (Oviedo, Fla./Hagerty HS) went a combined 2-6 with three RBI, including the game-tying sacrifice fly to right in game two. Castle started behind the plate in game two and went 2-4.

"A really nice job by our team tonight and really all of our players," said head coach David Deiros. "We used them in different roles throughout the day and they did a really nice job in executing, especially when we were behind. You have to give Oakland a lot of credit because they put us under pressure all night. We just did a nice job of withstanding their best shots and putting ourselves in a position to win. Even though the record doesn't indicate it, we have had a chance to win the last seven games and we were able to pull off the last four, I am really proud of our team for that."

GAME ONE
Shelby Morgan (High Springs, Fla./Sante Fe HS) earned the complete-game victory against the Golden Grizzles to improve her record to 2-1. Morgan allowed nine hits, but did not surrender a run or a walk while striking out seven.

Oakland had nine hits in the game, but could not muster a run while leaving 10 runners on base. In comparison, the Eagles scored eight runs on three hits with Oakland committing four errors in the game.

Freshman Brittany McGuire (Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla./Ponte Vedra HS) started the second off by reaching base on a walk before advancing to second on a single through the left side off the bat of sophomore  Jeanie Verderese (Jacksonville, Fla./Creekside HS). Freshman Chandler Middlebrook (Auburndale, Fla./Auburndale HS) laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance the two runners. Senior Christine Marino (Hialeah Miami Lakes HS/Bryan College) stepped to the plate and reached on a sacrifice bunt that scored McGuire.

Natalie Lopez (Miami, Fla./Westminster Christian HS) loaded the bases with a walk for pinch-hitter Gabbee Draney (Miami, Fla./Gulliver Prep High School), who lifted the ball to right field for an RBI sacrifice fly. With two outs in the inning, junior Makensie McAvoy (Plant City, Fla./Plant City HS) reached base when the first baseman dropped the throw from the third baseman, with Marino scoring on the play. McAvoy stole second before Carpenter drove the ball into center to give the Eagles their final two runs of the inning.

After pinch running for Marino, who reached on a walk, freshman Carissa LiCata (Okeechobee, Fla./Okeechobee HS) stole second base. Moving LiCata to third, Lopez reached first on a bunt single before stealing second base. The Oakland catcher over threw the second baseman in her attempt to get Lopez, which allowed LiCata to score from third. Lopez moved up to third on a passed ball before freshman Kelsey Huff (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla./Dwyer HS) stole second after pinch running for Gabbee Draney who reached via the walk. Junior Alexis Ross (Cape Coral, Fla./Ida S. Baker HS) lined the ball into center for an RBI sacrifice fly. Huff scored the final run of the game the same way that LiCata reached home when McAvoy stole second.

GAME TWO
The Eagles sent junior freshman Ashley Dobson (Wheatfield, Ind./Kankakee Valley HS) to the circle against the Golden Grizzles in game two. Dobson improved her record to 2-2 with a complete-game victory, allowing three earned runs, 10 hits, three walks and six strike outs.

Oakland scored its first run of the game in the second inning off of an RBI groundout. The Golden Grizzles added two more in the fifth when Courtnee Johnson tripled down the left-field line.

The Eagles scored their first run in the game in the second when freshman Emily Demurias (Miami, Fla./Killian HS) sent the ball to second for an RBI groundout that scored Castle from third who reached on a single to right center earlier in the inning.  FGCU would add another in the fifth with a two-out RBI single off the bat of Ross that scored Huff from third.

After loading the bases in the bottom of the seventh from two singles and a walk, Carpenter stepped to the plate. After fouling off three-straight pitches, the senior drove the ball into right field for a sacrifice fly that scored Lopez. The Golden Grizzles then intentionally walked Ross to get to Castle, on the first pitch of the at bat she drove the ball up the middle to give the Eagles the win.

NEXT UP
The Eagles will travel to Clearwater, Fla. for the Under Armour Invitational held from Friday, Feb. 27 until Sunday, Mar. 1. FGCU will face Georgia State, Villanova, Eastern Michigan, Maine and Illinois in the three-day event.

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  .693 (497-220-3). 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.