FORT MYERS, Fla. – The FGCU softball team kicked off senior weekend with a doubleheader split against in-state rivals FIU Saturday. The Eagles began the day with a 6-4 win behind two home runs before the Panthers came back to take the second game 4-0. Both FGCU and FIU are 24-24 in the 2016.

Two home runs pushed FGCU past FIU in the opener. The first off the bat of Racquel Fournet (Windermere, Fla./Windermere Preparatory School) in the first inning put the Eagles in front 2-0, giving the freshman 41 RBIs this season. FIU hit a two-run home run of its own in the second to tie the game but Chandler Middlebrook (Auburndale, Fla./Auburndale HS) broke the deadlock in the fourth with a two-run homer to center. The Eagles and Panthers would each plate single runs in the fifth and sixth in the 6-4 FGCU win.

The Eagle bats were silenced by a solid pitching performance from FIU in the second game. The Green and Blue were held hitless through five innings and despite tallying three hits in the final two innings, FGCU could not overcome four Panther runs, falling 4-0.

"Today we saw two really hard-fought games and it was really a microcosm of how our season is going over the past month," said head coach David Deiros. "I thought we played a complete ballgame in game one and didn't do anything really to hurt us. The only mistakes that were made early were made by me but we were able to overcome those and win the game. In game two, I thought Taylor (Wade) was again a tough-luck loser. That shouldn't have been a 4-0 ballgame. We didn't do enough on all sides of the ball to compete more than what we did. We'll do what we've been doing over the last month, we'll come out tomorrow and make sure we're the game one team again while we honor our three seniors. Those kids have put a lot into this program."

GAME ONE: FGCU 6, FIU 4
The Eagles got on the board first with Fournet's seventh home run of the season and her 40th and 41st RBIs, tying an FGCU freshman record. All the damage was done with two outs in the first inning when Louie Ross (Cape Coral, Fla./Ida S. Baker HS) tripled off the wall in center, bringing Fournet to the plate who hit a towering ball to right putting FGCU in front 2-0.

The Panthers responded in the second, hitting a two-run home run to left off of Riley Randolph (St. Petersburg, Fla./Northeast HS), who then conceded a double to right. The freshman recovered, striking out one before forcing a foul out to end the inning.

The Eagles had runners at second and third with two outs in the third but could not break the tie just yet. That would change in the fourth, when coach Deiros elected to bring Middlebrook into the game to pinch hit. Bri Innamorato (Mullica Hill, N.J./Bishop Eustace HS) led off the inning with a double to right and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt. Middlebrook then stepped to the plate, hitting an 0-1 pitch to center field for her second homer of the season, giving FGCU a 4-2 lead.

FIU scored a single run in the fifth, on a triple and a single with two outs but the Eagles would get the run right back in their half of the inning. Carissa LiCata (Okeechobee, Fla./Okeechobee HS), who entered in the top of the fifth, reached on a dropped third strike and stole second. After advancing to third on a sacrifice bunt, LiCata stole home to regain the two run lead.

A pop-fly to shallow right resulted in an RBI triple for the Panthers in the sixth, making it a 5-4 ballgame for the time being. Randolph again limited the damage, producing yet another foul out to end the inning.

Ross started another rally in the sixth, hitting a double to left and moving to third on a LiCata single. After Emily Demurias (Miami, Fla./Killian HS) walked to load the bases, Innamorato singled to score Ross to give FGCU a 6-4 lead.

Ashley Dobson (Wheatfield, Ind./Tallahassee Community College/Kankakee Valley HS) took over in the seventh for Randolph and the senior allowed a one-out walk and single en route to her first save of the season. Dobson struck out two in the inning, including the final batter of the ballgame.

Randolph improved to 13-4 on the season, pitching six innings. The freshman allowed four runs on nine hits while striking out five batters. Dobson allowed one walk and one hit in the final inning, striking out two.

Ross led the Eagles at the plate with three hits while Innamorato tallied two. Fournet and Middlebrook each drove in two runs.

GAME TWO: FIU 4, FGCU 0
In a stark contrast from the early game, both pitchers were in control early. Taylor Wade (Pace, Fla./Pace HS) allowed just a walk in the first inning before conceding a leadoff single in the third. The junior then forced the first of two double plays in the game. Wade induced a ground ball back to herself, tossed it to Ross at second who threw over to Fournet at first for the second out. The Panthers followed with two more singles but Wade snagged a one-hopper back up the middle before throwing over to first for the final out.

With FGCU still searching for its first hit, Wade forced FIU to ground into an inning-ending double play in the fourth to keep the game scoreless. However the visitors broke through in the fifth, scoring twice on a two-out single to right. FIU then scored two more runs in the sixth after back-to-back errors with two outs. Wade exited with runners at first and second and a run already on the board following the errors, giving way to Gabbee Draney (Miami, Fla./Gulliver Prep HS). Draney conceded a single, scoring the fourth run of the ballgame but got out of the inning with a fielder's choice.

Morgan Sutherland (Naples, Fla./Barron Collier High School) collected the first hit for FGCU on a single up the middle but that's all FGCU would get in the sixth, trailing 4-0. Draney kept the Panthers off the board in the final inning, allowing the home side to stay close. Consecutive one-out singles by Ross and Fournet gave FGCU its first scoring chance of the game, but a ground out and a strikeout ended the ballgame.

Wade suffered the loss despite allowing only two earned runs on seven hits. The junior also struck out three batters over 5.2 innings. Draney pitched the final 1.1 innings, allowing just two hits.

UP NEXT
FGCU goes for the series win tomorrow at 12 p.m. Prior to the start of the finale, FGCU will honor the three departing seniors, Dobson, Makensie McAvoy (Plant City, Fla./Plant City HS), and Ross. Fans are encouraged to wear green to Sunday's contest for a green out.

FOLLOW ALONG
For 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 .670 (536-265-3). 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 CAUSE
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 visit www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry and utilize the hashtag #FeedFGCU to help raise awareness.