DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The FGCU baseball team (4-7) exploded in the late innings and claimed its first series victory of the season by defeating in-state foe Bethune-Cookman (4-6), 15-5, in the series finale Sunday afternoon at Jackie Robinson Ballpark.

The Eagles trailed 5-4 entering the eighth inning, but blew the game open with five runs in the eighth and six more in the ninth to complete the comeback effort. After finding themselves in an early 3-0 deficit, FGCU scored in the final six innings of the game to take the series, 2-1. The win marked FGCU's third-straight series win against B-CU and pushed the all-time series record to 12-9 with the Eagles winning seven of the last nine in the matchup.

Right hander Parker Hamilton (1-1, 6.00) earned the win for FGCU after pitching a scoreless inning of relief. After Hamilton (Jupiter, Fla./Jupiter HS) ran into some trouble and B-CU loaded the bases with one out in the eighth, junior Garrett Anderson (Arcadia, Fla./DeSoto County HS) entered the game and got out of the jam unscathed before closing the door in the ninth to earn his second save of the season. Opposite the FGCU pitching staff, right hander Zach Olszewski (0-1, 13.50) suffered the loss for the Wildcats.

"It wasn't necessarily pretty, but we got the job done," said FGCU head coach Dave Tollett. "It was nice to see the guys respond from an early deficit and put together a big day from the plate. We certainly still have some things to work on, but it's nice to get the series victory."

After B-CU jumped out to a 3-0 lead through two innings of play thanks to a trio of FGCU miscues in the field, the Eagles chipped away at the Wildcats' lead with a run in the fourth and fifth innings before tying the game, 3-3, on a RBI single from Gage Morey (West Palm Beach, Fla./PB Central HS) in the sixth and taking the lead, 4-3, on a solo home run from Jake Noll (Punta Gorda, Fla./Charlotte HS) in the seventh. It was Noll's first home run of the season and the fourth of his career.

However, B-CU took advantage of three FGCU walks and responded with a pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to quickly reclaim the lead, 5-4. Jeston Heron hit a RBI single through the left side of the infield to score Rakeem Quinn before Danny Rodriguez drove in Michael Cruz on a RBI groundout back to the pitcher.

The bats then came alive as the Green and Blue sent 22 batters to the plate and scored 11 runs in the final two innings of play. All 11 runs in the eighth and ninth innings came with two outs as FGCU went 8-for-18 in the category. Additionally, a day after the leadoff hitter reached in only one inning on Saturday, the Eagles started seven on nine innings with a base runner in the finale.

On the mound, Mario Leon (Naples, Fla./Gulf Coast HS) got the start for FGCU and allowed three runs (one earned) on four hits with two walks and matched a career high with four strikeouts. Leon gave way to freshman Ryan Lang (Merritt Island, Fla./Merritt Island HS), who pitched a perfect sixth before giving way to Hamilton in the seventh. Hamilton and Anderson then held the Wildcats hitless in the final 2.2 innings.

The Eagles' 17 hits in Sunday's finale matched a season high previously recorded in game one of the series with B-CU and they registered 41 hits in the three-game set in Daytona Beach. Additionally, their 15 runs were the most since defeating UMass, 15-1, on April 25, 2015.

Six members of the Green and Blue registered multiple hits in the game led by three-hit games from Noll and Colton Bottomley (Parkland, Fla./Marjory Stoneman Douglas HS). Noll went 3-for-6 from the plate, including the home run to go along with two doubles, with three runs and two RBI. He extended his season-high hit streak to nine games and has reached safely in every game this season. Bottomley went 3-for-5 with two runs and one RBI. 

NEXT UP
The Green and Blue return to Fort Myers before a midweek matchup with their fourth Power Five and second Big Ten opponent in Michigan State. The game is scheduled for Wednesday, Mar. 9 at the Charlotte Sports Park in Port Charlotte, Fla., at 2:30 p.m. and marks the first time in program history the two teams have met.

DAVE TOLLETT
In 13+ seasons of work, FGCU head coach Dave Tollett has compiled a 467-271-3 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.