FORT MYERS, Fla. – The 2016 season began with a pair of late-inning rallies that fell just shy as the FGCU softball team dropped contests to Middle Tennessee and Michigan State Friday evening. The Eagles (0-2) began the day with a 4-2 loss to the Blue Raiders (1-1) before concluding the night with a 2-1 loss to the Spartans (2-0).

Freshman Riley Randolph (St. Petersburg, Fla./Northeast HS) got the nod in the opener against Middle Tennessee State, allowing three unearned runs over four innings. Kelsey Huff (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla./Dwyer HS) and Makensie McAvoy (Plant City, Fla./Plant City HS) sparked a late rally for the Eagle, but it came up just shy as FGCU fell 4-2.

In the nightcap, Ashley Dobson (Wheatfield, Ind./Tallahassee Community College/Kankakee Valley HS) kept the Michigan State Spartans off the board until the sixth, but a home run separated the teams for a moment only for FGCU to once again attempt a late comeback. The Green and Blue had the tying run on in the bottom of the sixth, but the run was stranded in a 2-1 loss.

"Riley did a nice job trying to extricate herself from trouble in those first four innings," said head coach David Deiros. "Some of it was Middle Tennessee doing a good job at the plate and some of it was she getting herself in trouble by falling behind hitters and some of it was we weren't making the plays behind her. But she battled and kept us in the ballgame. We gave ourselves chances to win in both games we just couldn't get over the hump."

GAME ONE
The Eagles and Blue Raiders exchanged baserunners in the first inning as Randolph shook off a leadoff walk and McAvoy reached on a one out single. Randolph's first jam came in the second when a pair of Blue Raiders reached with one out in the inning. Following an error, Middle Tennessee took the lead on the first of three unearned runs in the game. The second coming on a sac fly in the top of the second, but McAvoy threw out a potential third run at the plate to end the inning.

Another fielding error plated a third MT run in the fourth inning to increase the visitor's lead to 3-0. The Blue Raiders loaded the bases later that inning, but Randolph forced a ground out to Jeanie Verderese (Jacksonville, Fla./Creekside HS) to end the frame.

FGCU's offense picked up with a two-out rally sparked by a Huff walk. The sophomore stole second was brought home on a McAvoy single to right, immediately followed by a Louie Ross (Cape Coral, Fla./Ida S. Baker HS) double to center to plate her fellow senior. With the tying run aboard, Ross was left on the bases with FGCU trailing 3-2 heading into the seventh.

Taylor Wade (Pace, Fla./Pace HS) who had come on in relief of Randolph conceded consecutive doubles in the seventh, pushing the deficit to 4-2. The Green and Blue once again put the Blue Raiders under pressure with a pair of singles in the seventh but both Bree Tourtillott (Dixon, Ill./Tallahassee Community College/Oregon HS) and Chandler Middlebrook (Auburndale, Fla./Auburndale HS) were stranded as the game came to an end.

Randolph was hit with the first loss of her career. McAvoy collected a pair of hits to along with a run scored and an RBI.

GAME TWO
In a pitcher's duel, the Eagles and Spartans stranded 12 total runners in the contest. It was Michigan State that applied the pressure in the first as Dobson faced a two-on, one-out situation immediately. The senior worked out of the jam, forcing consecutive ground balls to end the frame.

In the FGCU third, Huff and McAvoy reached with two outs in the inning, but a hard hit ball from Ross ended with Huff being thrown out at the plate to keep the game scoreless.

The breakthrough came in the sixth inning on a two-run, two-out home run for the Spartans, giving them a 2-0 lead. Gabbee Draney (Miami, Fla./Gulliver Prep HS) entered in relief of Dobson, who worked 5.2 innings in her 2016 debut.

A triple off the bat of Ross led to an RBI from Brittany McGuire (Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla./Ponte Vedra HS) and two batters later, Middlebrook walked putting the potential go-ahead run on the bases. Both runners would be stranded however as the inning came to a close.

"I thought the seniors did a great job today," Deiros added. "Louie drove in a run in the first game and added a triple down the line in the second one. Mac did a great job all the way around and I thought Dobson's performance was fantastic. She was persistent at what she does best."

Ross led the Eagles with a pair of base hits in the loss including her triple. Dobson struck out one and walked one, while taking the loss.

UP NEXT
The Eagles are back in action Saturday as the FGCU Kickoff Classic continues. The Green and Blue take the field at 11:15 a.m. against Memphis and again at 3:45 against Illinois-Chicago.

FGCU Kickoff Classic Results
Kent State 10, Illinois-Chicago 0
Kent State 4, Memphis 3
Illinois-Chicago 11, Memphis 7
Michigan State 3, Middle Tennessee 2
Middle Tennessee 4, FGCU 2
Michigan State 2, FGCU 1

FOLLOW ALONG
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.
 
COACH DEIROS 
The founding father of FGCU softball, David Deiros enters his 14th 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 .674 (512-244-3). The 2015 Eagles finished with a 23-30 record and wins over Atlantic 10, Southland, AAC and ACC opponents. 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.
 
SUPPORT THE CAUSE
FGCU Athletics sponsors events throughout the year to benefit the FGCU Campus Food Pantry (www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry) and the Harry Chapin Food Bank (www.harrychapinfoodbank.org), FGCU Athletics' charities of choice. For more information, including how to make a contribution, please visit www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry and utilize the hashtag #FeedFGCU to help raise awareness.