FORT MYERS, Fla. – With a couple dozen MLB scouts in attendance, redshirt-junior second baseman Jake Noll went 3-for-5 from the plate with three runs and five RBI and led FGCU (5-8) past Quinnipiac (4-5), 8-4, in the first of four at Swanson Stadium Friday evening.

The homestanding Eagles plated four runs in the fifth inning to take a 4-2 lead and received a trio of insurance runs on Noll's (Punta Gorda, Fla./Charlotte HS) three-run shot in the bottom of the eighth to distance themselves from the visiting Bobcats.

Right hander Sterling Koerner (1-2, 5.79) earned the win after turning in a quality start for the Green and Blue. The Fort Pierce native allowed three runs on 12 hits with one walk and a season-high six strikeouts in 6.0-plus innings pitched. Opposite the FGCU starter, Thomas Jankins (1-2, 4.34) suffered the loss for Quinnipiac.

"All around, I thought it was one of our best games this season," said FGCU head coach Dave Tollett. "Sterling gave us what we needed from the mound, and we were big from the plate when we needed to be. Not to mention, we played a clean game in the field. It took us a while to get going, but I was proud of the guys for stepping up and delivering in key situations."

After falling behind 2-0 and registering only one hit through four innings, FGCU plated four runs in the bottom of the fifth to jump out in front. Noll (Punta Gorda, Fla./Charlotte HS) got things going with a two-RBI double to right-center field, his team-leading sixth of the season, before Colton Bottomley (Parkland, Fla./Marjory Stoneman Douglas HS) drove in freshman catcher Matt Roberts (Bradenton, Fla./Lakewood Ranch HS) on a one-out single. Tyler Selesky (Estero, Fla./Estero HS) then grounded to short but reached base as Matthew Batten's throw skipped short of the first base bag and away from Ben Gibson, allowing Noll to score.

Quinnipiac threatened to tie the score or reclaim the lead in the top of the seventh inning, but Christian Townsend (Safety Harbor, Fla./Countryside HS) made his season debut in a tight spot and did well to minimize the damage as he held the Bobcats to only one run and FGCU maintained its lead, 4-3. The sophomore right hander relieved Koerner (Fort Pierce, Fla./John Carroll HS) with runners on first and second and nobody out and allowed a run to score on a RBI double from Louis Iannotti. Then, with the bases loaded and one out, Townsend forced Gibson to roll one over to FGCU third baseman Corey Fehribach (Douglasville, Ga./West Georgia CC), who stepped on the bag and fired to first for the inning-ending double play.

The Eagles got the run right back in the home half as Bottomley drove in Noll on a RBI single to left field to again push the lead to two. Then, with one out and runners on first and second, Noll drove a 2-2 pitch over the left-center field fence to extend the lead to 8-3 and give the Eagles some breathing room. It was the Punta Gorda native's second home run of the season, each coming in the team's last three games.

After allowing one hit with one strikeout in 2.0 innings of work, Townsend was relieved by fellow side-armer Garrison Vandeventer (Ocala, Fla./North Marian HS), who allowed a run to score but kept the Eagles comfortably in front and closed the door in the final frame.

The Green and Blue's eight runs came on eight hits after going 4-for-11 with runners in scoring position while Quinnipiac, who put the lead-off man aboard in five of nine innings and each of the first three, plated four runs on 14 hits and went 1-for-15 in the category.

Much of FGCU's offensive production came from its one through three hitters as Noll, Matt Reardon (Palm City, Fla./Martin County HS) and Bottomley combined to go 6-for-15 and accounted for seven RBI on the night. After Noll's big night, the top-100 prospect extended his hit streak to 11 games and pushed his on-base streak to 23 games, dating back to the final 10 games of 2015. After a two-hit night with two RBI, Bottomley has now hit in 12-of-13 games this season. Additionally, Fehribach went 2-for-4 with a run scored to register his first mutli-hit game in the Green and Blue.

The Eagles and Bobcats are scheduled to play two Saturday afternoon with the first game at 1 p.m. and the second game tentatively scheduled for 4:30 p.m. FGCU will send redshirt-senior Brady Anderson (0-3, 2.41) to the mound in game one while Quinnipiac will run Robbie Hitt (0-1, 12.38) to the bump. The Eagles' starter for game two is still up in the air as the Bobcats will throw Justin Thomas (1-0, 2.08).

DAVE TOLLETT
In 13+ seasons of work, FGCU head coach Dave Tollett has compiled a 468-272-3 record (.632) 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.