JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – After three walk-off wins last week, the FGCU baseball team (19-20, 5-3 A-Sun) was on the wrong end of two extra-inning contests as they dropped a pair of games at Jacksonville (24-14, 6-3 A-Sun) Saturday afternoon at John Sessions Stadium.
 
In game one, the Eagles forced extra-innings with a run in the top of the ninth, but dropped a 4-3, 10-inning decision to the Dolphins. Then, in the night cap, roles were reversed as Jacksonville scored two runs in the seventh before ultimately winning, 6-3, in the 12th.
 
With the losses, FGCU drops its first conference series of the season and falls to 5-3 in A-Sun play, one game back of the Dolphins for second place.
 
"Those are a couple of games we feel like we should have won and that leaves a bad taste in your mouth," said FGCU head coach Dave Tollett. "You can't make the mental and physical mistakes we made today and expect to win. The good thing is we have a chance to come back out tomorrow and try to salvage it with a win."
 
GAME ONE
With one out and the bases loaded in the bottom of the 10th inning, JU catcher Franco Guardascione hit a sacrifice fly to center field to score JJ Gould and give the Dolphins the walk-off win. FGCU center fielder Gage Morey (West Palm Beach, Fla./PB Central HS) made a nice sliding catch on the play and Gould was forced to retreat a couple of steps and tag up at third. However, Morey couldn't get to his feet and fire home in time to catch the winning run at the plate.

An inning earlier, FGCU tied the game on Zach Spivey's (Ormond Beach, Fla./Spruce Creek HS) two-out, RBI single into left-center field in the top of the ninth. Prior to Spivey's at-bat, leadoff hitter Matt Reardon (Palm City, Fla./Martin County HS) stepped to the plate with runners on the corners and one out and dropped a bunt down the first-base line. However, JU pitcher Mike Cassala made a nice play and Morey was called out on a bang-bang play at the plate before Spivey delivered.

FGCU reliever Sterling Koerner (2-4, 4.91) suffered the loss after entering the game in the bottom of the ninth, while Dolphins' reliever Mike Schappell earned the win. FGCU starter Brady Anderson (Arcadia, Fla./DeSoto County HS) turned in his third 8.0-inning outing of the season while allowing only two earned runs.

Jacksonville jumped out to an early lead in the bottom of the opening frame as cleanup hitter Sam Armstrong hit a two-RBI double into the right-center field gap. To start the game, Parker Perez reached on a FGCU fielding error and, along with Gould, came around to score on the play.

Three innings later, Tyler Selesky (Estero, Fla./Estero HS) got FGCU on the scoreboard and cut the Jacksonville lead to one with a solo home run in the top of the fourth inning, his fourth long ball of the season.

After Anderson had worked four straight scoreless inning and retired the last seven Dolphins faced, Jacksonville pushed its lead back to two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning as Gould lifted a pitch that got up into the windstream and carried over the fence in left-center field.

The Green and Blue appeared primed for a big inning with the bases loaded and nobody out in the top of the seventh inning as Reardon lifted a ball to left field deep enough to score Jake Smith (Windermere, Fla./Windermere Prep) from third, but Smith was called out for leaving the bag too early. Then, Spivey delivered a two-out single through the right side of the infield to score Morey, but that's all the Eagles would get.

Spivey led the way for FGCU as he went 2-for-4 from the plate with a pair of runs driven in. Additionally, the bottom third of the FGCU lineup came up big as Smith, Morey and Matt Roberts (Bradenton, Fla./Lakewood Ranch HS) combined to go 5-for-10 with one runs scored. For Morey, it was his third straight multi-hit game and fifth in the last six contests.

GAME TWO
In another hard-fought contest during which neither team led by more than two runs until the final swing, Jacksonville claimed its second walk-off win of the day as Sam Armstrong hit a three-run home run to right-center field in the bottom of the 12th inning.

FGCU freshman Ryan Lang (2-4, 6.28) suffered the loss in relief while Jacksonville reliever Jeff Tanner earned the win after throwing 3.2 scoreless innings.

The Green and Blue took a 3-1 lead into the bottom of the seventh inning, but the Dolphins were able score a pair of runs when Gould hit a single into left field to score Nathan Koslowski. The ball then skipped under the glove of Spivey in left and allowed Austin Hays to score from first and tie it up.

FGCU starter Garrett Anderson (Arcadia, Fla./DeSoto County HS) matched a career-long outing as he tossed 6.2 innings while allowing only two runs. With two strikeouts and one walk, Anderson has now totaled 43 strikeouts with only four walks this season.

Jake Noll (Punta Gorda, Fla./Charlotte HS) got things going with a single up the middle to score Reardon and give FGCU a 1-0 lead. With the RBI single, his team-leading 44th of the season, Noll moved into sole possession of fifth place in FGCU program history with 242 career hits.

The Dolphins were quick to respond, though, as Gould led off the home half of the inning with a solo home run to right-center field, his second long ball of the day.

However, the Eagles plated a run in each of the next two innings to reclaim and extends its lead to 3-1. After hitting a leadoff single in the top of the fifth, Smith later came around to score on a wild pitch from JU starter Nathan Disch. An inning later, the FGCU first baseman stepped to the plate with runners on second and third and one out and ripped a pitch to right field to score Spivey and give FGCU a two-run cushion.

Offensively in game two, Smith went 2-for-3 with one RBI and one run scored, while Morey recorded a hit in his ninth straight game. The Green and Blue hit a number of balls on the screws throughout the afternoon but had tough luck as few were able to find holes.

First pitch in the series finale between the Eagles and Dolphins is scheduled for Sunday at 1 p.m., when FGCU will send right hander Mario Leon (3-2, 3.88) to the mound to oppose Spencer Stockton (4-3, 3.50).

DAVE TOLLETT
In 13+ seasons of work, FGCU head coach Dave Tollett has compiled a 482-284-3 record (.629) 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.