FORT MYERS, Fla. – The FGCU baseball team (8-10) couldn't get the bats going and dropped the second of two games against Big Ten opponent Rutgers (7-9) by a 9-2 margin Wednesday night at Swanson Stadium.

FGCU starter Kenton Hering (0-1, 13.50) suffered the loss after allowing three runs on five hits with four walks and a pair of strikeouts. Right hander Christian Campbell earned to win out of the bullpen for Rutgers as he went 3.0 inning and allowed one unearned run on two hits with one walk and three strikeouts.

"Not a lot was working for us tonight," said FGCU head coach Dave Tollett. "We let them jump out to an early lead, and the bats weren't there to bring us back. Good thing is we're right back at it and have an opportunity to respond in a couple of days."

After the Scarlet Knights took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning, FGCU manufactured a run in the home half of the frame as Matt Reardon (Palm City, Fla./Martin County HS) was hit by a pitch and stole a pair of bases before scoring on a sacrifice fly from Colton Bottomley (Parkland, Fla./Marjory Stoneman Douglas HS).

However, the FGCU bats stayed quiet for the next three innings while Rutgers was able to claim a lead with two runs in the second, four in the fourth and another in the fifth. Designated hitter R.J. Devish doubled down the left-field line to score a pair in the second while Marcinczyk provided the big hit with a two-run home run in the fourth. The Scarlet Knight plated another in the fifth as Bowerbank hit a one-out double and later scored on a wild pitch to make it a seven-run ballgame.

The Eagles then chipped away at the lead with run in the bottom of the fifth when Zach Spivey (Ormond Beach, Fla./Spruce Creek HS) drew a leadoff walk and came around to score as Bottomley reached on a two-out error by Rutgers third baseman Carmen Sclafani.

Both teams went scoreless in the next three innings before the Scarlet Knights scored an insurance run in the top of the ninth. Nick Matera hit a leadoff single and scored three pitches later when John Jennings hit a double to right center but was gunned down at third on the play.

Southpaw Sawyer Wilson (Clearwater, Fla./St. Petersburg College) made his debut for FGCU while Philip Sieli (Wellington, Fla./Wellington HS) pitched well out of the bullpen and finished the game. Sieli allowed one run on two hits with two walks and five strikeouts. The freshman right hander fanned the side in the top of the eighth inning.

Reardon extended his season-high hit streak to 10 games while Jake Noll (Punta Gorda, Fla./Charlotte HS) had his 15-game hit streak snapped, but extended his career-high on-base streak to 28 games with a walk in the fourth inning.

UP NEXT
FGCU hits the road to Johnson City, Tenn., for a three-game weekend series against East Tennessee State (8-8). Game one is scheduled for Friday at 6 p.m. followed by game two Saturday at 2 p.m. and the series finale Sunday at 1 p.m. The Eagles are 16-6 all-time against the former A-Sun opponent.

DAVE TOLLETT
In 13+ seasons of work, FGCU head coach Dave Tollett has compiled a 470-274-3 record (.631) 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.