FORT MYERS, Fla. – The FGCU softball team (19-16, 2-3 Atlantic Sun) split its doubleheader with Northern Kentucky (4-15, 1-1 Atlantic Sun) on Saturday, Mar. 21. The Eagles only needed five innings in game one to win by a 9-1 score before falling in the second game by a 2-0 count.
In game one, junior
Ashley Dobson (Wheatfield, Ind./Kankakee Valley HS) earned the complete-game victory to improve her record to 9-3 on the season. Dobson allowed three hits, one run with two walks and six strikeouts. Junior
Alexis Ross (Cape Coral, Fla./Ida S. Baker HS) went 2-for-3 with two RBI while freshman
Kelsey Huff (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla./Dwyer HS) went 3-for-3 and knocked in a run.
In game two, Ross smacked a double into left for her third on the day while senior
Kelsey Carpenter (Oviedo, Fla./Hagerty HS) went 1-for-3 at the plate.
"A nice job by [Ashley] Dobson and the entire team in game one to win the game by the mercy rule," said head coach
David Deiros. "The second game was a totally different story. We didn't make the plays when we had to, and Northern Kentucky made all the plays when they had to. They took away some hard shots from us, we had some opportunities, but they did a nice job to take the game from us. We go to try and win the series tomorrow."
GAME ONEThe Norse could not get much going offensively and scored their lone run on three hits.
The Eagles scored one in the first inning to get on the board against the Norse. Huff led off the game for FGCU with a single to right field. The freshman then advanced to second when junior
Makensie McAvoy (Plant City, Fla./Plant City HS) reached via the walk. With one out, Ross loaded the bases with a single to the left side. Freshman
Brittany McGuire (Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla./Ponte Vedra HS) then knocked in Huff with a sacrifice fly into leftfield.
Ross dealt the damage in the second inning for the Green and Blue. With two outs and the bases loaded, the junior singled through the left side to score McAvoy and Huff who both reached on singles earlier in the inning. FGCU tacked on two more runs in the third inning to take a 5-1 lead. After two quick outs, sophomore
Jeanie Verderese (Jacksonville, Fla./Creekside HS) singled down the left field line. Freshman
Natalie Lopez (Miami, Fla./Westminster Christian HS) then reach on an error by the shortstop. Both runners then advanced when the catcher let the ball get past her. Huff then laid down a beautiful bunt single to score Verderese from third. McAvoy then stepped to the plate and knocked in Lopez from third with a single to left.
The Eagles ended the game via the mercy rule in the fifth inning. Freshman
Kasandra Castle (Lake Worth, Fla./Palm Beach Central HS) got hit by a pitch to led the inning off before being replaced by pinch runner
Emily Demurias (Miami, Fla./Killian HS). Verderese then stepped to the plate and smoked the ball into the left-center gap which score Demurias from first. Lopez then singled to the right side which advanced Verderese to third. Pinch hitter
Gabbee Draney (Miami, Fla./Gulliver Prep HS) stepped to the plate and drove the ball up the middle for an RBI single. After Huff came back in to run, McAvoy reach on a throwing error by the catcher which score Lopez on the play. Carpenter then drove the ball through the left side for the game winning RBI single.
GAME TWOSenior
Shelby Morgan (High Springs, Fla./Sante Fe HS) took the circle in the second game of the day against the Norse. The senior pitched seven innings, allowing three hits, giving up two runs, one earned, walking one and striking out five.
Offensively, the Eagles could only muster five hits during the contest with Huff, Carpenter, Ross, Castle and Verderese all contributing. FGCU had opportunities to score throughout the game as it stranded seven runners on base over the seven innings.
Northern Kentucky scored its two runs of the game in the second inning. The two runs came on two hits and an error.
The Eagles will play the rubber match of the series against Northern Kentucky on Sunday, Mar. 22 with the first pitch scheduled for Noon.
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 (508-227-3). 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.
