FORT MYERS, Fla. – The FGCU softball team lost 8-1 to Kent State on the final day of the FGCU Kickoff Classic. The Green and Blue (1-4) committed six errors in the loss to the Golden Flashes (5-0), who are coming off of a 41-win season and a MAC regular season title.

"Kent State is a great hitting team and they came into this tournament as a top 50 team in the country and they just did a good job against us and took advantage of the myriad of mistakes that we made," said head coach David Deiros. "We had chances to either minimize or eliminate all damage and we couldn't get it done. And we had more chances to put pressure on them and we didn't get it done. All it means is we're back to work on Tuesday and we're ready to go for next weekend."

FGCU trailed almost immediately after Kent State scored two runs in the first. Following a Golden Flashes solo homer in the third, FGCU picked up a run in the fourth only for the visitors to plate four runs in the fifth to break the game open. Kent State scored once more in the final frame to complete the scoring.

The Golden Flashes scored on a triple from Arika Roush two batters into the ballgame against FGCU starter Taylor Wade (Pace, Fla./Pace HS). After an error, Chandler Middlebrook (Auburndale, Fla./Auburndale HS) caught a line drive and tagged the runner at third for a double play. Kent State added an additional run in the first on a double down the left field line scoring Grimm before Wade ended the inning with a lineout to Middlebrook.

The Eagles nearly responded in the bottom half of the inning, loading the bases on a Makensie McAvoy (Plant City, Fla./Plant City HS) walk, a Racquel Fournet (Windermere, Fla./Windermere Preparatory School) single and a Middlebrook walk, but the trio was left stranded on the bases.

After a solo home run from Kent State's Grimm in the third, FGCU got on the board in the fourth. Middlebrook doubled down the left field line to lead off the inning and two batters later, Morgan Sutherland (Naples, Fla./Barron Collier High School) drew a walk. Brittany McGuire (Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla./Ponte Vedra HS) singled to center that deflected off the second baseman's glove, plating Middlebrook. The Eagles would leave a pair of runners on the bases, trailing 3-1.

Kent State broke the game open in the fifth against Riley Randolph (St. Petersburg, Fla./Northeast HS), as the Golden Flashes took advantage of two Eagle errors, scoring four runs to take a 7-1 lead into the sixth inning.

The visitors scored another run in the seventh as FGCU tallied two hits in the final three innings.

Louie Ross (Cape Coral, Fla./Ida S. Baker HS) collected two hits for the Eagles, while McGuire picked up the lone RBI. Wade tossed two innings, allowing three runs on five hits. Only two of the three runs were earned. Randolph meanwhile threw the final five innings, allowing five runs, all unearned, on six hits. 

UP NEXT
FGCU remains at home to host the FGCU/Four Points by Sheraton Invitational. The Eagles welcome Marshall, Hofstra, Saint Louis, Southern Illinois and LIU-Brooklyn to Southwest Florida. The tournament is scheduled to begin Friday and conclude Sunday.

Day Three Results
Illinois-Chicago 5, Middle Tennessee 1
Michigan State 5, Memphis 3
Kent State 8, 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 (513-246-3). 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.