FORT MYERS, Fla. – Coming to bat in the bottom of the sixth with a one-run deficit, the FGCU baseball team (2-5) plated two big runs in the inning and maintained its lead in the final three frames to defeat defending Big Ten Champion Illinois (3-3) by a final score of 3-2 Sunday afternoon at Swanson Stadium.

Freshman shortstop Nick Blasucci (Fort Myers, Fla./Riverdale HS) provided the big hit for the Green and Blue with a two-out, RBI double down the left-field line that scored Nick Rivera (Cape Coral, Fla./Bishop Verot HS) for the go-ahead run. Three consecutive singles from Colton Bottomley (Parkland, Fla./Marjory Stoneman Douglas HS), Rivera and Tyler Atwell (Venice, Fla./Tallahassee CC), who made his first start of the season at first base, started the inning and tied the game at two runs apiece.

"We were in a little bit of a funk until that point but got some key hits when we really needed it," said FGCU head coach Dave Tollett. "I thought our pitching was fairly good all series, but especially in the later innings today to keep a good offensive team in check. It's good to get one against a tough opponent in Illinois."

Until the two-run sixth inning, FGCU was 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position and had put two runners on base with nobody out in three of the first five innings but had only one run to show for it. The Eagles then received three hits with runners on second in the inning as Rivera singled to left while Atwell singled up the middle to score Bottomley and Blasucci drove in Rivera for the aforementioned go-ahead run.

On the mound, FGCU received a solid outing from right hander Mario Leon (Naples, Fla./Gulf Coast HS), who didn't factor into the decision after allowing two runs (one earned) on one hit with five walks and three strikeouts in a career-high 5.1 innings of work. Making his third appearance of the season and earning his second win of the week after also starting a mid-week contest against USF, freshman right hander Ryan Lang (Merritt Island, Fla./Merritt Island HS) was impressive out of the bullpen after throwing 3.2 scoreless innings and allowing three hits to go along with two strikeouts. Lang (2-0, 2.92), who also pitched 3.1 innings of scoreless relief in Gainesville last weekend, has now thrown 7.0 scoreless innings out of the bullpen this season.  

After giving up double-digit hits in the first two games of the series, FGCU surrendered only four hits to the Fighting Illini on Sunday, the fewest since also holding then-No. 13 Miami to four hits in an 8-1 win in Coral Gables on Mar. 25, 2015.

Opposite Leon, Illinois right hander Andrew Malmic suffered the loss after allowing three runs (two earned) on seven hits with two walks and three strikeouts in 5.0 innings pitched.

The Fighting Illini made things interesting in the top of the ninth inning when Pat McInerney drove a ball deep into the left-center field gap. However, Gage Morey (West Palm Beach, Fla./PB Central HS) ran it down two steps onto the warning track to keep the Illini off the base paths and, more importantly, the scoreboard. With two outs, Illinois received back-to-back singles from Doran Turchin and Matthew James to put runners on first and second. Then, pinch hitter Dan Rowbottom put a good swing on a fastball that appeared to be headed to shallow right-center field before second baseman Jake Noll (Punta Gorda, Fla./Charlotte HS) snared it out of the air for the final out of the game.

Bottomley extended his hit streak to seven games to start the season as he went 2-for-4 from the plate with a run scored. The senior right fielder leads everyday FGCU players with a .423 batting average (11-for-26) and nine RBI. Additionally, FGCU received multi-hit games from Atwell and Blasucci, who posted identical numbers after going 2-for-4 with one RBI in the game. 

NEXT UP
Following its home-opening series against Illinois, FGCU will travel to Coral Gables, Fla., for an in-state showdown against 2015 College World Series participant and preseason No. 4 Miami (5-2). Most recently, Miami dropped two of three games to No. 1 Florida. The Eagles are 2-11 all-time against the Hurricanes, including registering an 8-1 win against then-No. 13 Miami a season ago.
 
DAVE TOLLETT
In 13+ seasons of work, FGCU head coach Dave Tollett has compiled a 465-269-3 record (.633) 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.