MIAMI, Fla. – The FGCU softball team (23-27, 5-12 Atlantic Sun) split its doubleheader with FIU (28-23, 8-13 Conference USA) on Saturday afternoon at Felsberg Field. The Eagles won the first game by a 2-1 score before dropping the second game by a 2-1 count.

In game one, Chandler Middlebrook (Auburndale, Fla./Auburndale HS) supplied the offense for the Eagles as she went 1-for-2 with her lone hit being a two-run homerun.

In game two, freshman Carissa LiCata Okeechobee, Fla./Okeechobee HS) went 2-for-3 while freshman Ashley Swiderski (Naples, Fla./Barron Collier) drove in the only run of the game for FGCU with a sacrifice bunt.

"We played well today," said head coach David Deiros. "We had a chance to win both games and that's all we can ask of our team. This was great preparation for our big series this weekend versus Lipscomb." 

GAME ONE
Senior Shelby Morgan (High Springs, Fla./Sante Fe HS) earned the complete game victory for the Green and Blue. The senior allowed five hits, one earned run and struck out four.

With two outs in the third, Middlebrook stepped to the plate and smacked a homer over the center field fence which scored senior Kelsey Carpenter (Oviedo, Fla./Hagerty HS), who reached on a fielder's choice earlier in the inning. 

The Panthers scored their lone run in the sixth inning and had a total of five hits in the game.

GAME TWO
Junior Ashley Dobson (Wheatfield, Ind./Kankakee Valley HS) took the circle in game two for the Green and Blue. The junior pitched six innings allowing two hits, two runs, one earned and walked one.

After coming in as a pinch runner, freshman Kelsey Huff (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla./Dwyer HS) stole second before advancing to third on a sacrifice fly in the fifth inning. Swiderski then laid down a sacrifice bunt to score Huff for the Eagles' lone run of the game.

The Panthers scored their two runs on two hits and two errors.

The Eagles conclude the regular season when they host Lipscomb for a three-game series. The conference matchup will begin with a doubleheader on Thursday, Apr. 30 with start times slated for 5 p.m. and 7 p.m., followed by a 1 p.m. game on Friday, May 1.

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  .682 (512-238-3). 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.