TAMPA, Fla. – The bats came alive for the FGCU baseball team (1-3) as they traveled north for a mid-week matchup against in-state rival South Florida (2-2) and left the USF Baseball Stadium with a 13-6 win over the Bulls. With the win, the Eagles improved their overall record against USF to 9-4, including a perfect 7-0 mark in Tampa.

Making his first career start for FGCU, right-hander Ryan Lang (Merritt Island, Fla./Merritt Island HS) earned the win after allowing four runs on six hits to go along with five strikeouts in 5.1 innings of work, while Garrett Anderson (Arcadia, Fla./DeSoto County HS) recorded the save after throwing 3.1 innings of scoreless relief and striking out a career-high six batters. Southpaw Andrew Perez suffered the loss for the Bulls.

At the plate, FGCU registered a season-high 13 runs on 16 hits, while a quintet of Eagles recorded multiple hits in the game led by a 4-for-5 performance from Tyler Selesky (Estero, Fla./Estero HS) to go along with a 4-RBI night from Colton Bottomley (Parkland, Fla./Marjory Stoneman Douglas HS), matching a career high.

"The offense we felt confident we would have coming into the season showed up tonight," said FGCU head coach Dave Tollett. "However, we still left a number of runs out there and there's room for improvement. Our first eight games of the season are a major challenge, and we're excited to get our first win against a tough opponent in USF."

FGCU got on the board early and often as they scored in five of the first six innings, including a three-run first inning and three-run fifth. With the bases loaded and one out in the opening frame, Bottomley got things going with a two-RBI single to left field, scoring Selesky and Jake Noll (Punta Gorda, Fla./Charlotte HS). Corey Fehribach (Douglasville, Ga./West Georgia CC) then stepped to the plate and doubled down the right-field line, bringing in Nick Rivera (Cape Coral, Fla./Bishop Verot HS) on the play.

After putting a run on the board in the second and fourth innings, the Green and Blue turned in another big inning in the fifth as they scored three runs to make the score 8-0. Following a one-out walk to Selesky and hit by pitch of Gage Morey (West Palm Beach, Fla./PB Central HS), Noll delivered a two-RBI double to left center, his second of the game, and later came in to score on another RBI single from Bottomley.

After getting through the first 4.1 innings unscathed, Lang ran into some trouble in the fifth, giving up a three-run home run to USF second baseman Kevin Merrell to draw the Bulls within five. FGCU then put another run on the board in the top of the sixth before USF responded with three more runs in the bottom of the inning to make the score 9-6. Lang was relieved by right-hander Kenton Hering (Melbourne, Fla./East Florida State College) after issuing a one-out walk, and Hering was then relieved by Garrison Vandeventer (Ocala, Fla./North Marian HS) after allowing a walk and a two-RBI double to the Bulls' Chris Chatfield. After Vandeventer struggled with his command, Anderson entered the game and recorded the final 10 outs to close the door on a USF comeback effort.

The Bulls' final chance came in the bottom of the eighth inning when Merrell stepped to the plate representing the tying run. However, with two outs and runners on second and third, Anderson struck out the USF leadoff man to end the inning and the scoring threat.

FGCU then capped off the night by sending 10 batters to the plate in the top of the ninth and scoring four insurance runs to push its lead to the eventual final of 13-6. Bottomley drove in his fourth run of the game on a single to left, while Brady Anderson (Arcadia, Fla./DeSoto HS), Jake Smith (Windermere, Fla./Windermere Prep) and Morey each drove in their first runs of the season. For Smith, it was the first of his FGCU career.

The Eagles' 13 runs on 16 hits in the game were not only a season high, but also marked the largest output in both categories since defeating UMass, 15-1, on April 25 of last season.

NEXT UP
Following their mid-week matchup with USF, the Eagles return to Fort Myers for their home-opener against 2015 Super Regional opponent Illinois. The three-game series at Swanson Stadium will begin Friday at 6:30 p.m., with game two taking place Saturday at 2 p.m., followed by the series finale Sunday at 1 p.m.

DAVE TOLLETT
In 13+ seasons of work, FGCU head coach Dave Tollett has compiled a 464-267-3 record (.635) 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 39 All-Conference selections, 25 draft picks, 16 current minor leaguers, four A-Sun Pitchers of the Year, four All-Americans, one National Freshman Player of the Year, one National Player of the Year and one MLB All-Star.

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.

#FEEDFGCU
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 visitwww.fgcu.edu/foodpantry and utilize the hashtag #FeedFGCU to help raise awareness.