FORT MYERS, Fla. – Led by a career-day from Kelsey Huff, the FGCU softball team split a doubleheader with the conference-leaders Stetson Saturday. Huff started the day with a 4-for-4 performance and six RBIs, leading the way in a 13-2 in five innings. The Hatters got the better of the Eagles in the second game however, taking the final game 7-1. The Eagles are now 20-20 overall and 4-4 in conference play, while Stetson is now 27-17 and 6-4 in the Atlantic Sun.

"We played a really good game one but we didn't play as well in game two," said head coach David Deiros. "I was proud of the way we went after it and by the way we competed. We now have a chance to win the series tomorrow. Our offense goes as Kelsey goes. When she does the things she needs to do, we're able to score a lot of runs and that showed today."

Huff (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla./Dwyer HS) kick started the Eagle offense to open the day, tallying four hits in four plate appearances while driving in six runs, second-most in a single game in FGCU history and the most since Chelsea Zgrabik in 2013. While Huff sparked the offense, Riley Randolph (St. Petersburg, Fla./Northeast HS) kept the Hatters in check, holding Stetson to just single runs in the third and fourth. With two swings the game changed in FGCU's favor. In the second, Louie Ross (Cape Coral, Fla./Ida S. Baker HS) emptied the bases and scored herself on two errors following a single down the line in right. In the fourth Huff stepped in with the bases loaded and hit a double the left center to clear the bases. The Eagles scored a season-high 13 runs to run-rule the Hatters 13-2 in five innings.

The Eagles conceded a single run in the second inning to fall behind 1-0. The Hatters then scored single runs in the third and fourth innings, falling behind 3-0 in the contest. FGCU had a chance to score in the third, but a Huff line drive was hit straight at the shortstop keeping FGCU off the board. The Green and Blue got on the board in the fifth but a three-run seventh put the game out of reach, sending FGCU to a 7-1 loss.

FGCU 13, STETSON 2 (Five Innings)
After Randolph walked the first batter she faced, she quickly began to settle in, keeping the Hatters off the board. The Eagles came out swinging in the second including a bases loaded, RBI single by Huff. Racquel Fournet (Windermere, Fla./Windermere Preparatory) followed with an RBI of her own, extending the lead to 2-0. Ross extended the lead on an RBI and moved to second on the throw in from right field. The throw however would hit Ross' bat, sending the ball toward the third base dugout, scoring Fournet. The pitcher, who was covering the throw tossed the ball to the catcher but it hit the catcher's helmet, ricocheting toward the first base dugout. Ross was originally held at third but after the umpires met, they advanced Ross home for a 6-0 lead.

Stetson picked up one run in the third, but FGCU continued their hot hitting in the by loading the bases once again. Huff tacked on three more RBI's with a bases clearing double and Fournet followed up with an RBI single that extended the lead to 10-1 after three innings.
 
The Hatters picked up another run off Randolph but she responded by striking out the side in the fourth to limit the damage. The Eagles continued to tack on more runs on a two run double by Huff, giving her a career-high six RBIs for the game on four hits. Fournet added to her fantastic day at the plate, by tallying another RBI single to give her three for the game.

Randolph tossed a complete game, giving up only two runs on five hits with four strikeouts. Randolph is now 9-4 on the year. Huff, Fournet and Ross went 9-for-11 from the plate, collecting 11 RBIs at the top of the order.

STETSON 7, FGCU 1
Taylor Wade (Pace, Fla./Pace HS) worked around a two-out error in the first to keep the Hatters off the board but after a hitless first for the home side, Stetson took the lead in the second. The Hatters put the leadoff runner on base and manufactured a run to take a 1-0 lead. The visitors would then plate another in the third by stringing together three singles.

Trailing 2-0, Huff was in another RBI position with a runner at third, but the sophomore's line drive was snagged by the shortstop for the second out of the inning. A ground out would later end the frame, sending FGCU into the fourth trailing 2-0.

A squeeze play pushed another run across for Stetson in the fourth but Wade kept the deficit manageable, keeping FGCU close. The gap closed to 3-1 after Jeanie Verderese (Jacksonville, Fla./Creekside HS) and Bri Innamorato (Mullica Hill, N.J./Bishop Eustace HS) singled, bringing Huff to the plate with two outs. The sophomore came through, singling and moving to second on an error. On the play, Verderese came around to score to cut into the lead.

But that would be all FGCU would get. The Hatters plated four more runs, including three in the seventh, taking advantage of six FGCU errors.

Wade got the loss, pitching six innings and allowing three earned runs with one strikeout. Dobson came on in the seventh, allowing one unearned run on no hits. Innamorato was the only Eagle to tally multiple hits.

UP NEXT
The Eagles go for the series win Sunday at 2 p.m. at the FGCU Softball Complex.

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 enters 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 (532-262-3). 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.