GAME 1 | BOX SCORE (PDF)
WP | Jordan Hillyer (4-3): 9.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 5 BB, 4 SO
LP | Mike Murray (3-5): 7.1 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 7 SO

GAME 2 | BOX SCORE (PDF)
WP | Sterling Koerner (4-3): 3.2 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 SO
LP | Logan Hutchinson (1-1): 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0 SO

Kennesaw, Ga. - The FGCU baseball team (20-19-1, 7-4 A-Sun) struggled in game one at Kennesaw State (21-18, 6-5 A-Sun) on Saturday, going down 5-0, but continued its string of late inning comebacks in the second game by erasing a three-run deficit over the final two innings to force extras before coming away with a 6-5 victory in 10 innings. The series with the Owls will conclude tomorrow with an 11 a.m. start set at Stillwell Stadium.

Mike Murray (West Palm Beach, Fla./Forrest Hill HS) made the start in game one for FGCU and and was very good with exception of a shaky third inning and a home run in the seventh. The junior worked 7.1 innings and gave up five runs, four earned, while striking out seven against two walks. Jack English (Delray Beach, Fla./Cardinal Newman HS) would mop up the final two thirds.

At the plate the Green and Blue would manage just three hits, one each from Jake Noll (Punta Gorda, Fla./Charlotte HS), Zach Spivey (Ormond Beach, Fla./Spruce Creek HS) and Blake Berger (Jacksonville, Fla./Santa Fe College). Matt Reardon (Palm City, Fla./Martin County) would draw two walks and Tyler Selesky (Estero, Fla./Estero HS) worked one free pass at the top of the order. Three times the Eagles put the lead off man on base and twice that runner reached third base. The Eagles would strand six runners in total.

In game two is was Brady Anderson (Arcadia, Fla./DeSoto HS) on the hill for the Green and Blue. He would not factor in the decision after working 6.1 innings, giving up eight hits and five runs, three earned, while striking out one and walking two. Sterling Koerner (Fort Pierce, Fla./John Carol HS) came on in relief and kept the Owls at bay over the final 3.2 innings, allowing four hits and striking out two without issuing a walk to secure his fourth victory of the season.

Reardon performed the duty of table setter at the highest level in game two, going 4-5 at the dish with three runs, an RBI and a walk, raising his season average to .329. Behind him, Selesky went 2-5 and drove in the game-winning run in the top of the 10th with a sacrifice fly. Nick Rivera (Cape Coral, Fla./Bishop Verot HS) got back on track after a hitless game one with a 2-3 effort, driving in two runs. Noll went 1-5 and Spivey went 2-5 in the four and five holes while Adam Eggnatz (Tampa, Fla./Middle Georgia College) and Anderson each added a hit at the bottom of the order.

"I'm very pleased with the way we put the first game behind us and battled in game two," head coach Dave Tollett said. "We showed a lot of fight today and it was important to get that win. This league is tough to win and if things work out in the end hopefully we can look back at today and consider this one a turning point."

GAME 1
Neither team would pick up a hit until the bottom of the third inning when Taylor Allum led off with a bloop single to shallow center off Murray. The next batter would attempt the lay down a sacrifice bunt but Berger would overthrow Rivera at first to put runners on first and second with no outs. The next batter laid down a successful sac bunt to move both runners into scoring position for Corey Greeson who sent a fly ball to left. Eggnatz made the catch and came up throwing but the cut-off throw was over Berger's head allowing the first run of the ball game to score. Grant Williams then singled to center to make it 2-0 KSU before Simmons flew out to center end the rally.

With one out in the top of the fourth, Noll roped the first FGCU hit of the game to center and would move up to second when Spivey followed with a single of his own down the line in left. However, Bottomley would follow with a pop out to shallow left and Anderson grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Eagles put the lead off man on once again in the top of the sixth when Selesky drew a walk. Rivera flew out for the first out of the inning but Selesky moved up to second on a passed ball during the next at-bat. Noll grounded out to second for the second out of the frame but Selesky advanced to third on the play. He would move no further through as the threat came to an end with a Spivey fly out to left.

Brennan Morgan led off the bottom of the seventh for the Owls with a seeing-eye single past Rivera's glove as he ranged to his right. Morgan stole second as Chris Erwin missed a bunt attempt but Erwin would make up for the error with a two-run home run over the wall in right to push the Owls ahead 4-0. One more runner would reach but no more runs came across in the seventh as Murray worked out of any further trouble.

Berger led off the top of the eighth with a single to right through the hole between first and second. Brian Pruett (Sarasota, Fla./Coastal Carolina) pinch ran for the Eagle catcher with Reardon at the dish and freshman worked his second walk of the day to bring up Selesky with two on and no outs. Selesky rolled into a double play and Rivera struck out to strand a leadoff runner for the third time in the game.

Murray surrendered a leadoff walk in the bottom of the eighth and a sacrifice bunt moved that runner into scoring position. Chris McGowan singled to right, not deep to score the runner but ended Murray's day nonetheless. English took over on the hill and got a fly ball to deep center for the second out but allowed the runner at third to tag and score in the process, giving KSU a 5-0 lead. A double in the left-center field gap by Chris Erwin put runners on second and third but English worked out of the jam by getting another fly out. The Eagles would go down in order in the ninth to lock up the game one victory for Kennesaw State.

GAME 2
The Eagles came out of the games firing in game two. Reardon led off the top of the first with a high chopper in the infield and beat the play to first for a single. Selesky followed with an opposite field single to left after Reardon had stolen second. Rivera then came up and lifted a high fly ball to deep right that was plenty deep enough to score Reardon from third and give the Green and Blue a 1-0 lead.

Corey Greeson led off the bottom half of the first with a ground ball of the middle that Reardon ranged over and grabbed but the throw would not be handled by Rivera to put the lead off man on via the error. A single and a sacrifice bunt put runners on second and third with one out for McGowan who roped a double to left center, driving in two and giving the Owls the lead. Back-to-back singles scored another run and put Owls on first and second with just one out still. Anderson would settle in an get two fly-outs to end the inning.

Both teams went down quietly in the second and after a strikeout to start the third, Reardon came to the plate and stroked his second homer of the season over the wall in left-center to bring the score to 3-2, KSU.

With one out in the bottom of the third, Morgan singled to left and moved up second on a groundout. Taylor Allum walked to put runners on first and second. Morgan would scamper to third after Gilbert's pick off attempt skipped into the outfield. With runners on the corners Liquori chopped a ball towards first that Rivera had to dive after to grab before it rolled into right. Anderson came over to field the exchange with Rivera but fumbled the toss and everyone was as safe, resulting in another run for KSU.

McGowan led off the bottom of the fifth with a solo homer to right but the Eagles would look to respond in the top of the sixth. Rivera started things off with a single up the middle and Spivey singled after a Noll fly out to put two on with one out. Zachary Orchard (Cambridge, Ontario/Jacob Hespeler SS) struck out and Bottomley flew out to end threat.

Gilbert would lead off the seventh for FGCU who still trailed the Owls 5-2. He worked a walk and Eggnatz laid down a bunt single, putting runners on first and second with no outs for the top of the order. Reardon poked a ground ball up the middle causing Eggnatz to be forced out at second on the fielder's choice. With runners on the corners and one out, Reardon successfully stole second with Selesky at the plate. The Estero native would strike out and Rivera walked to bring Noll to the plate with two outs and the bases loaded. Noll would roll out to second to end the inning.

Spivey hit a hot shot to short that Kal Simmons couldn't handle to begin the eighth, allowing Spivey to reach. Anderson replaced Orchard in the DH spot and singled in the infield to put two on with no outs for Bottomley who grounded out on the grass at third, allowing both runners to move into scoring position. Gilbert lifted a fly ball to center which brought in Spivey on the sacrifice but that would be all for the Green and Blue in the eighth who now trailed 5-3.

The top of the order would come to the plate for the Eagles in the ninth against KSU closer Will Lowman. Reardon worked another walk, bringing up Selesky who ran the count full before lacing a single into shallow center. Rivera came to the plate with the tying run on first against the lefty Lowman doubled to the gap in right, bringing in Reardon and moving the tying run over to third with Jake Noll coming to bat. Noll sent a hard line drive to left that Liquori had to slide and catch, allowing Selesky to tag and come in to score and tie the ball game, 5-5. Spivey singled up the middle but not deep enough to bring in Rivera from second who would be replaced before the next batter by Pruett. Spivey moved up to second when breaking ball bounced off the KSU catcher and up the third base line, putting two runners in scoring position. Anderson would strike out for the second out and Bottomley walked to load the bases bringing up Gilbert who flew out to center to end the rally.

Koerner gave up a leadoff single to Grant Williams in the bottom of ninth and Simmons put down a sacrifice bunt to move the winning run into scoring position. McGowan sent a slow rolling single through the left side that found its way through the infield, putting runners on the corners with one out. Koerner got Morgan to pop up in the infield then saw a hard-hit line drive find the glove of Jake Noll to end the threat and send this one to extras.

Kennesaw State sent Logan Hutchinson to the mound to start the 10th after Lowman blew the save in the ninth. He would walk Eggnatz to get things started which turned the FGCU lineup over to the top. With Reardon at the dish, Eggnatz stole second held up at third after the freshman ripped a single to shallow right. Selesky then flew out to deep right center, bringing Eggnatz in to score on the sacrifice and give the Eagles a 6-5 lead.

Koerner toed the rubber for his fourth inning of work in the 10th and would face the 7, 8, and 9 hitters in the KSU order. The sophomore got two pop outs and a fly out to retire the KSU side in order in the bottom of the 10th to secure the 6-5 victory for FGCU.

The series with the Owls will conclude tomorrow at Stillwell Stadium at 11 a.m. Jordan Desguin (Newport Beach, Cal./Newport Harbor) will be on the mound for the Green and Blue.

NEXT UP
The Eagles will take a break from A-Sun play next weekend and welcome Massachusetts (11-12, 7-6 A-10) to Swanson Stadium for the first time ever. The series is scheduled to have four games with two being played on Saturday (Apr. 25). UMass struggled to a 15-21 record last season with a 12-15 mark in the A-10.

ATLANTIC SUN CHAMPIONSHIP 
The Eagles will once again host the Atlantic Sun Championship Tournament at Swanson Stadium this season. The event is set to take place May 20-23 and the top six teams in the standings at the end of the regular season will advance to the championship and compete in a double-elimination style tournament to determine the A-Sun's automatic qualifier to the NCAA Tournament. The Eagles are four-time A-Sun Regular Season Champions with the most recent title coming in 2014.

DAVE TOLLETT
In 12+ seasons of work, FGCU head coach Dave Tollett has compiled a 454-256-3 record as the only head coach in the program's history. He is a four-time Atlantic Sun Coach of the Year and has guided the Green and Blue to four A-Sun Regular Season Championships. His team has been ranked nationally on several occasions by multiple media outlets and has coached 35 All-Conference selections, 22 draft picks, 14 current minor leaguers, four A-Sun Pitchers of the Year, three All-Americans, one National Freshman Player of the Year, one National Player of the Year and one MLB All-Star.

#WINGSUP
Fans are encouraged to download the brand-new Wings Up mobile app in conjunction with SuperFanU. The fully-customized loyalty-rewards platform allows fans to check in at each of FGCU's sporting events to earn points throughout the school year toward exclusive prizes that can't be offered anywhere else.

FOLLOW ALONG
For constant, news, photos, videos and updates you can follow the baseball team on Twitter @FGCU_Baseball, Instagram @FGCU_Baseball or on Facebook: Facebook.com/FGCUBaseball. You can also find FGCU athletics on YouTube by visiting YouTube.com/FGCUEagles.