FORT MYERS, Fla. – Seniors Louie Ross and Makensie McAvoy put the finishing touches on two walk off wins for FGCU softball Friday. Ross ended an 8-0 win over Sacred Heart to begin the second day of the Battle at the Beach while McAvoy sent the Eagles home 9-1 winners over Oakland to make it five-straight wins for the Green and Blue. FGCU is now 6-5 on the season, while Sacred Heart is 0-2 and Oakland is 3-7.

"It was a total team effort all the way around," said head coach David Deiros. "It certainly makes pitching and defense a lot easier when you can string together some runs. We had a pretty complete game today. The top of the order is doing what they're supposed to be doing but we got some really nice production from the middle and bottom of the order as well today."
It was a dominant performance by the Eagles to begin the day against Sacred Heart, led by Taylor Wade (Pace, Fla./Pace HS). The junior tossed a complete game, two-hit shutout for her first win of the season. Offensively, seven different Eagles drove in a run against the Pioneers while the team recorded a season-best 12 hits. Leading 7-0 heading into the fifth, Ross (Cape Coral, Fla./Ida S. Baker HS) singled to center with the bases loaded, giving FGCU its first run-rule victory of the year.

"She threw extremely well," Deiros added. "The way she threw last night, coming in and mowing down the four kids she faced gave her a lot of confidence coming into today. She attacked hitters and let the defense play behind her."

In the nightcap against the Golden Grizzlies, Ashley Dobson (Wheatfield, Ind./Tallahassee Community College/Kankakee Valley HS) set the tone early on for the Green and Blue. The offense got going late in the contest, with eight runs crossing the plate in the final two innings. Once again, it was an offense that collected 11 hits that proved to be the difference led by two triples and four RBIs by McAvoy (Plant City, Fla./Plant City HS). The senior hit a walk off triple to right center, clearing the bases to secure the 9-1 win.

GAME ONE
The Eagles grabbed an early lead on consecutive hits from Kelsey Huff (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla./Dwyer HS) and McAvoy. Following a leadoff single from Huff and a stolen base, McAvoy found the gap in right-center to plate the sophomore. Later in the inning, McAvoy scored on an error to give FGCU a 2-0 lead.

After allowing a single to lead off the game, Wade limited the Pioneers to just one additional hit in the third as the junior sought her first win of the season.

FGCU tacked on to its lead in the third, stringing together five hits to plate four runs. Racquel Fournet (Windermere, Fla./Windermere Preparatory School) got the offense going with a one-out single and Chandler Middlebrook (Auburndale, Fla./Auburndale HS) followed with a double to right center, scoring Carissa LiCata (Okeechobee, Fla./Okeechobee HS) who was running for Fournet. Bri Innamorato (Mullica Hill, N.J./Bishop Eustace HS) stepped to the plate and singled, putting runners at second and third for LuLu Newmark (Pembroke Pines, Fla./Bowling Green/American Heritage HS) who doubled down the line in left. After a pitching change for Sacred Heart, Morgan Sutherland (Naples, Fla./Barron Collier High School) hit a 3-1 pitch to the wall in center, giving FGCU a 6-0 lead with her first career hit and double.

Wade continued her dominance, keeping the Pioneers off the bases to give her team a chance to clinch the win in the bottom of the fifth and it was an opportunity the Eagles took advantage of. Sutherland lined a single down the left field line to lead off the frame for the home side. After Huff was hit by a pitch, McAvoy was walked to load the bases for Ross. On the third pitch, the senior hit a single to center to end the ballgame.

FGCU recorded a season-high 12 hits in the win, led by a quartet of Eagles with two each. Ross, Fournet, Middlebrook and Sutherland each had two hits in the ballgame while Newmark drove in a pair.

Wade (1-2) conceded just two hits while striking out five for her first victory of 2016.

GAME TWO
FGCU again scored first after Dobson sent the Golden Grizzlies down in order. Huff reached on a bunt single to begin the Eagles first inning and wound up at third following a stolen base and a ground out. Fournet then stepped up, delivering a two-out RBI single to score Huff, putting the home side in front 1-0.

The Golden Grizzlies came back, taking advantage of a one-out walk followed by their first hit of the ballgame with two outs in the inning. With runners at first and second, a double down the left field line tied the game but Dobson limited the damage with fifth strikeout of the game.

The teams remained deadlocked until the bottom of the fifth when the Eagles plated two runs, capped by a McAvoy triple to right.

With a 3-1 lead, FGCU led off the sixth with consecutive walks by Middlebrook and Innamorato. With runners at first and second, Newmark singled and on the throw to first, the first baseman lost the ball, allowing Emily Demurias (Miami, Fla./Killian HS) to score after coming in for Middlebrook. Jeanie Verderese (Jacksonville, Fla./Creekside HS) then recorded an RBI single, increasing the lead to 5-1. A Natalie Lopez (Miami, Fla./Westminster Christian HS) single loaded the bases, setting up an RBI single by Huff. With an 0-1 count, McAvoy found the gap in right center, clearing the bases with her second triple of the ballgame.

Gabbee Draney (Miami, Fla./Gulliver Prep HS) came on in the fifth inning for Dobson and earned her third win of the season. Dobson allowed one run on two hits with five strikeouts while Draney tossed the final two innings, striking out a pair.

McAvoy led the Green and Blue at the plate with four RBIs and two triples. Veredese collected three hits while Huff scored three runs.

UP NEXT
The Eagles will play Oakland and Sacred Heart once again Saturday beginning with a contest at 2:30 against the Golden Grizzlies. Immediately following the afternoon game, FGCU and Sacred Heart meet to conclude the third day of the Battle at the Beach.

DAY TWO RESULTS
Oakland 7, Sacred Heart 5
FGCU 8, Sacred Heart 0
FGCU 9, Oakland 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 (518-247-3). 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.