FORT MYERS, Fla. - Ashley Dobson and
Racquel Fournet were the difference for the FGCU softball team in a 1-0 win over Sacred Heart Sunday. The win extended FGCU's winning streak to eight games for the first time since 2013, while improving its 2016 record to 9-5. Sacred Heart meanwhile fell to 1-4 to conclude its opening weekend of action.
Dobson (Wheatfield, Ind./Tallahassee Community College/Kankakee Valley HS) scattered three hits over seven innings and received the lone run of the game on a
Fournet (Windermere, Fla./Windermere Preparatory School) home run in the bottom of the first. FGCU's bats were stifled by Sacred Heart's Emily Orosco, who struck out 12 batters in her collegiate debut. The Eagle defense backed up Dobson, turning a double play in the second while finishing the game with no errors.
"These past two weeks we've won in every imaginable way," said head coach
David Deiros. "This was a new one; we haven't been involved in a pitcher's duel yet. Orosco for Sacred Heart, I can't say enough for how well she pitched the ball. That's a heck of a debut and she's going to do a nice job for the Pioneers. You have to give her a lot of credit because she just threw a bad pitch to Fournet in a 3-2 count. And Fournet, give her credit for depositing it in the right-center field seats. This was a complete team effort. We put people in unusual spots and everybody stepped up."
Dobson set the tone for the Green and Blue early on, sending the Pioneers down in order. In a scoreless ballgame, Fournet stepped to the plate with two outs in the first, hitting her third home run of the season and second in three games to put FGCU in front 1-0.
Dobson conceded a lead-off single in the second inning, but induced a double play ball to keep the Pioneers off the board. The senior again retired Sacred Heart in order in the third before striking out a pair of batters in the fourth to keep the Eagles in front.
As the FGCU offense looked to pick up, the Eagle defense remained steady behind Dobson who scattered three hits en route to her second win of the season. The senior walked just one Pioneer while striking out six batters, throwing an economical 89 pitches.
Fournet and
Bri Innamorato (Mullica Hill, N.J./Bishop Eustace HS) collected the only hits for FGCU.
UP NEXTThe Green and Blue start their fourth home tournament, the Spring Break Classic, Friday against Ball State and Stony Brook. The Eagles begin play against the Cardinals at 4:30 p.m. Among the teams in attendance next weekend, is currently No. 23 Notre Dame.
FOLLOW ALONGFor 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 .678 (521-247-3). 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 CAUSEFGCU 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.
