FORT MYERS, Fla. – For the fourth series in a row the FGCU softball team opened up with a win, this time against Kennesaw State Saturday afternoon. The Eagles then dropped the second game, settling for a split on the day to move to 22-21 on the year and 6-5 in Atlantic Sun play. Kennesaw State is now 23-18 in 2016 with a matching 6-5 record in conference play.
An early 2-0 lead would be plenty for
Riley Randolph (St. Petersburg, Fla./Northeast HS) as she secured her 11th win of the season to begin the day. The freshman tossed a two-hit shutout in a 4-0 FGCU victory. FGCU tallied two insurance runs in the sixth as the left hander finished off her third shutout of the season.
In the finale, the Owls posted an early 2-0 lead in an attempt to even the series. Both teams would plate a run in the middle innings before a two-run single by
Louie Ross (Cape Coral, Fla./Ida S. Baker HS) tied the game at three as the game moved to the seventh. Kennesaw State scored a single run in the top of the inning and FGCU could not respond, leaving the series to be decided tomorrow in the finale.
"I'm just proud of the way our kids played today," said head coach
David Deiros. "They did a great job battling. We basically took control of the first game from the very first pitch and the second game we put ourselves in a hole again. But we came back and gave ourselves a chance to win. We put the go-ahead runner on and just couldn't get it done. We gave ourselves chance to win and that's all you can ask for."
GAME ONE: FGCU 4, Kennesaw State 0FGCU grabbed an early lead, plating a pair of runs in the first inning.
Kelsey Huff (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla./Dwyer HS) led off the inning, reaching on an error before swiping second base.
Makensie McAvoy (Plant City, Fla./Plant City HS) then moved her to third on a single just over the glove of the third baseman. After
Racquel Fournet (Windermere, Fla./Windermere Preparatory School) drew a four-pitch walk to load the bases, Ross hit a fly ball to right advancing all runners 60 feet to put FGCU in front 1-0.
LuLu Newmark (Pembroke Pines, Fla./Bowling Green/American Heritage HS) then singled to center, scoring McAvoy to put FGCU in front 2-0. With runners at the corners and only one out, a double play ended the frame.
Randolph worked a flawless second inning for the Eagles but allowed a one-out single in the third. Following a stolen base and a ground out, the Owls had a runner at third with two outs but the freshman kept Kennesaw State off the board. Fournet then led off the Eagle third inning with a single but was retired on a fielder's choice. The Eagles would hit into their second double play of the game to end the third.
Neither side could break through in the fourth and fifth innings but the sixth would see the Eagles tack on two insurance runs. Fournet started the inning with her second single of the day and was replaced by
Carissa LiCata (Okeechobee, Fla./Okeechobee HS). With two outs and LiCata at third,
Jeanie Verderese (Jacksonville, Fla./Creekside HS) hit a pop fly to the shortstop, who lost the ball in the sun allowing LiCata to score. Verderese would later score on a line drive off the bat of
Michaela Hynes (Windermere, Fla./West Orange HS) to make it 4-0.
Randolph completed her shutout, retiring the Owls in order in the seventh for her 11th win of the season. The freshman struck out one batter and did not issue a walk while allowing just two hits. Fournet collected two singles in the win to lead FGCU at the plate.
GAME TWO: Kennesaw State 4, FGCU 3The Owls replicated FGCU's earlier first inning in the second game, scoring twice to take a 2-0 lead after one inning. After a scoreless second for
Taylor Wade (Pace, Fla./Pace HS), the junior would be removed for
Gabbee Draney (Miami, Fla./Gulliver Prep HS) in the third. The Owls put two runners on with one out, prompting the pitching change. Draney entered and loaded the bases but escaped the jam when FGCU catcher
Bree Tourtillott (Dixon, Ill./Tallahassee Community College/Oregon HS) turned and made a diving catch in foul territory to end the inning.
FGCU's first hit of the second game came off the bat of LiCata who promptly stole second. Following a Huff single, the Eagles ran themselves into the final out as the third came to a close with FGCU trailing 2-0.
Draney silenced Kennesaw State's bats in the fourth, keeping the deficit at 2-0 allowing the Eagles would cut into the lead in the bottom half. McAvoy led off the inning with a walk and moved to third on a Fournet single and an error. With runners at second and third, Ross tallied FGCU's first run on a sacrifice fly to right, plating McAvoy. Fournet would be left on the bases however, with FGCU trailing 2-1.
The Owls got the run back in the fifth on an RBI single but FGCU would rally again in the sixth. Three-straight singles at the top of the order loaded the bases for Ross, who singled up the middle to score Huff and McAvoy. FGCU though would leave another runner on with the game tied 3-3 heading into the seventh.
In the final frame, the Owls scored on a two-out double off of Randolph, who replaced Draney with runners on, to take a 4-3 lead and despite putting the lead off runner on in the seventh, FGCU could not tie the game.
Wade pitched 2.1 innings, allowing one earned run on five hits. Draney (3-4), who was hit with the loss, tossed 4.1 innings, allowing two runs on four hits. Randolph faced two batters in the seventh, conceding the two-out double but forcing a pop out to the very next batter.
Huff and Fournet each tallied two hits in the loss, with Ross providing all three RBIs.
UP NEXTFGCU and Kennesaw continue to battle for the top-spot in the Atlantic Sun tomorrow at 1 p.m. in the series finale.
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 is in 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 .673 (534-263-3). 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.
