FORT MYERS, Fla. – After seeing a two-run lead disappear in the later innings, the FGCU baseball team (20-21, 6-4 A-Sun) used a two-out rally in the bottom of the eighth to defeat conference rival UNF (26-15, 5-5 A-Sun), 4-2, Friday night at Swanson Stadium.
 
With two outs and runners on the corners in the home half of the eighth, Tyler Selesky (Estero, Fla./Estero HS) drove a 1-1 pitch to the warning track in center field, where it appeared Chris Thibideau would make the catch. However, the Osprey outfielder lost his footing at the last second and the ball dropped for a two-RBI double to break a tie and give FGCU a 4-2 lead.
 
FGCU reliever Sterling Koerner (Fort Pierce, Fla./John Carroll HS) then closed the door in the ninth as he made a difficult 1-6-3 double play look routine to end the game. Eagles' reliever Clint Knoblauch (4-0, 7.11) earned the win after recording two big outs to stop the bleeding in the top of the eighth, while UNF starter Bryan Baker (3-3, 2.36) suffered the loss.

The win snapped a four-game skid for the Green and Blue and halted a six-game win streak for UNF as FGCU is now 20-9 in all-time series with the Osprey and 11-4 at Swanson Stadium. 
 
"That's a big win for us," said FGCU Dave Tollett. "We got back on the right side of a close game after suffering a couple of tough losses last week, and I was happy with how the guys responded. Brady (Anderson) pitched well to start it out, and our bullpen was able to have his back to end it. Tyler (Selesky) is one of our senior leaders, and he came through big for us tonight as well."
 
Selesky got the Green and Blue on the scoreboard early as he squared up a 1-2 pitch from Baker and sent it well over the wall in right center to lead off the bottom of the second. It was the Estero native's fifth home run of the season and second in the last four games. Later in the inning, Zach Spivey (Ormond Beach, Fla./Spruce Creek HS) came through with a RBI single up the middle to give FGCU a 2-0 lead.
 
Anderson (Arcadia, Fla./DeSoto County HS), who tied Casey Coleman for sixth all-time with his 31st career start, retired 13 of the first 16 batters faced before allowing his first blemish of the evening when Chris Berry doubled down the right-field line to score Thibideau in the top of the fifth inning.
 
Baker then settled in opposite Anderson as he kept the Eagles scoreless for five innings while the Ospreys were able to tie the game in the top of the eighth. After recording the first out of the inning on a fly out to right field, Anderson allowed a run to score on three consecutive singles and was relieved by Knoblauch (Wellington, Fla./Wellington HS) with runners on first and second. The FGCU reliever then got UNF three-hole hitter Corbin Olmstead to ground into his second double play of the game to minimize the damage and keep the game tied, 2-2.
 
It was in their next at-bat that FGCU started a two-out rally and Selesky ultimately won the game with his aforementioned double to center field, scoring Gage Morey (West Palm Beach, Fla./PB Central HS) and Jake Noll (Punta Gorda, Fla./Charlotte HS).  
 
Selesky led the way as he went 3-for-4 from the plate with one run scored and three more driven in, while Morey extended his career-long hit streak to 11 games with a single to start the eighth-inning rally. The Eagles capitalized with timely hitting Friday night as they went 2-for-3 with runners in scoring position and three of their four runs came with two outs.
 
Game two between the Eagles and Ospreys is on tap for Saturday at 2 p.m., when FGCU right hander Garrett Anderson (1-1, 3.83) will take the mound opposite UNF starter Brad Deppermann (0-0, 9.39).

DAVE TOLLETT
In 13+ seasons of work, FGCU head coach Dave Tollett has compiled a 483-285-3 record (.628) 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.