Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

CLEARWATER, Fla. – The FGCU Softball team (8-11) took on Georgia State (8-2) and Villanova (3-4) on the first day of play at the USF Under Armour Invitational on Friday.  The Eagles lost to Georgia State by a 16-2 count and to Villanova by a score of 6-2.

Georgia State's offense was relentless on Friday night as they scored in every inning except the second to end the game with a total of 16 runs. Villanova outscored FGCU by four runs as they put a six spot on the board in game two.

"We did not play well today," said head coach David Deiros. "The beauty of our game is that we get another chance tomorrow. We have another two good games to go ahead and bounce back and get back on track."

GAME ONE
The Green and Blue fell to Georgia State by a score of 16-2 in five innings to start day two of the USF Under Armour Invitational. The Eagles sent Taylor Wade (Pace, Fla./Pace HS) to the circle in game one where she pitched 2.1 innings, gave up eight earned runs, 10 hits, struck out one and walked two batters. Wade is now 1-4 on the season with one save. Ashley Dobson (Wheatfield, Ind./Kankakee Valley High School) also made an appearance pitching 2.2 innings, allowing eight runs, four earned runs, five hits, three walks and struck out three.

FGCU's only offense in the game came in the second inning when they scored two runs off of four hits. Freshman Brittany McGuire (Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla./Ponte Vedra HS) got the bats started for the Eagles when she doubled to left center with one out. Freshman Chandler Middlebrook (Auburndale, Fla./Auburndale HS) followed suit with a double to left center that score McGuire from second. On a 1-2 count, sophomore Jeanie Verderese (Jacksonville, Fla./Creekside HS) drove the ball up the middle which advanced Middlebrook to third. With two outs in the inning freshman Natalie Lopez (Miami, Fla./Westminster Christian HS) hit an RBI single in front of the mound with the throw being late to first, Middlebrook slide under the throw from first to score on the single.

Taylor Thorpe was the winning pitcher for the Panthers as she improved her record to 4-0 on the season.  Thorpe allowed four hits, two earned runs and struck out three in five innings.

GAME TWO
Gabbee Draney (Miami, Fla./Gulliver Prep High School) started the second game against Villanova and allowed three runs in 2.1 innings pitched. Senior Shelby Morgan (High Springs, Fla./Sante Fe HS) came in and pitched 4.2 innings and allowed three runs.

The only offense in the game for the Eagles came in the first inning. Lopez started the game with a walk and advanced to second on an error by the second baseman where she dropped a line drive which allowed junior Makensie McAvoy (Plant City, Fla./Plant City HS) to reach first as well. Senior Kelsey Carpenter (Oviedo, Fla./Hagerty HS) loaded the bases after reaching via the walk which set the stage for McGuire. The freshman just missed the ball, but hit it into left for the sacrifice fly that scoring Lopez. Junior Alexis Ross (Cape Coral, Fla./Ida S. Baker HS) loaded the bases again with a single to left field. McAvoy scored on the next play when freshman Kasandra Castle (Lake Worth, Fla./Palm Beach Central HS) hit an RBI groundout to second base.

After the Eagles took a 2-0 lead, Villanova scored six unanswered runs to win 6-2.

FGCU will resume play at the USF Under Armour Invitational on Saturday, Feb. 28 when they play Eastern Michigan at 12:15 p.m. and Maine at 2:45 p.m.

THE SCHEDULE

Friday, Feb. 27
Georgia State 16 FGCU 2
Villanova 6 FGCU 2
11:15 a.m. East Carolina vs. Central Arkansas
11:15 a.m. Maine vs. Middle Tennessee State
11:15 a.m. Oakland vs. Radford
11:15 a.m. Georgia Southern vs. Illinois
1:45 p.m. Sacred Heart vs. Central Arkansas
1:45 p.m. Radford vs. Middle Tennessee State
1:45 p.m. Maine vs. East Carolina
1:45 p.m. Illinois at Chicago vs. Rhode Island
1:45 p.m. USF vs. Illinois
4 p.m. Oakland vs. Rhode Island
4 p.m. Illinois at Chicago vs. Sacred Heart
4 p.m. Villanova vs. Eastern Michigan
4 p.m. USF vs. Georgia Southern
6:15 p.m. Georgia State vs. Eastern Michigan
 
Saturday, Feb. 28
10 a.m. Georgia Southern vs. Maine
10 a.m. Radford vs. Sacred Heart
10 a.m. Illinois vs. East Carolina
12:15 p.m. Georgia Southern vs. Rhode Island
12:15 p.m. Eastern Michigan vs. FGCU
12:15 p.m. Oakland vs. Middle Tennessee State
12:15 p.m. Radford vs. Central Arkansas
12:15 p.m. Illinois at Chicago vs. Villanova
12:15 p.m. Georgia State vs. East Carolina
2:45 p.m. Middle Tennessee State vs. Rhode Island
2:45 p.m. Eastern Michigan vs. Illinois
2:45 p.m. Central Arkansas vs. Oakland
2:45 p.m. FGCU vs. Maine
2:45 p.m. USF vs. Sacred Heart
2:45 p.m. Georgia State vs. Villanova
5 p.m. USF vs. Illinois at Chicago
 
Sunday, Mar. 1
9 a.m. Central Arkansas vs. Eastern Michigan
9 a.m. Sacred Heart vs. Oakland
9 a.m. East Carolina vs. Middle Tennessee State
9 a.m. Illinois vs. FGCU
11:30 a.m. Villanova vs. Georgia Southern
11:30 a.m. Maine vs. Illinois at Chicago
11:30 a.m. Radford vs. Rhode Island
12 p.m. USF vs. Georgia State
 
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  .692 (497-222-3). 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.