NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The FGCU baseball team (23-26, 8-9 A-Sun) jumped out to an early lead and never looked back as they punched their ticket to the 2016 A-Sun Baseball Tournament with a 19-4 win against Lipscomb (26-24, 9-8 A-Sun) Saturday afternoon at Dugan Field.
 
The 19 runs registered by the Eagles were good for a new season-high after scoring 18 runs in a loss at USC Upstate last weekend and were the most runs since defeating NKU, 22-13, in 2014. Additionally, the 15-run margin of victory was the highest since defeating Le Moyne, 19-2, in 2011.
 
FGCU starter Mario Leon (4-4, 4.87) earned the win, while Lipscomb starter Jeffrey Passantino (5-4, 4.55) suffered the loss. Leon (Naples, Fla./Gulf Coast HS) tossed 6.0 scoreless innings while matching a career high set earlier this season with seven strikeouts. He allowed four hits on the afternoon and issued four walks.
 
"We swung the bats well today, and Mario pitched great this afternoon," said FGCU head coach Dave Tollett. "It's nice to clinch the final spot in the conference tournament. Now, we're looking to string some more wins together and fight for a better seeding as we finish the season."
 
FGCU wasted no time in getting on the scoreboard as the first four batters reached safely and the Eagles took a 3-0 lead in the top of the first. With runners on second and third and nobody out, Jake Noll (Punta Gorda, Fla./Charlotte HS) hit a RBI single to shortstop before Tyler Selesky (Estero, Fla./Estero HS) hit a double to left field to give FGCU a 2-0 lead. Five-hole hitter Colton Bottomley (Parkland, Fla./Marjory Stoneman Douglas HS) then hit a sacrifice fly to center field to score Noll and extend the Eagles' early lead.
 
In their next at-bat, Gage Morey (West Palm Beach, Fla./PB Central HS) was hit by a pitch to lead it off and later scored on a RBI single from Jake Smith (Windermere, Fla./Windermere Prep) to keep things going. Noll then busted it open with a three-run home run to left-center field to make it a 7-0 ballgame. With his 11th home run of the season, the Punta Gorda native matched former Eagle Zach Maxfield for seventh most in a single season in program history.
 
After Passantino lasted only 1.2 innings, southpaw John Pryor entered the game and did well to keep FGCU off the scoreboard as he tossed 4.2 scoreless innings before running into trouble in the top of the seventh. Morey and pinch hitter Ryan Shinn (Jobstown, N.J./Northern Burlington HS) drew back-to-back bases-loaded walks before Matt Reardon (Palm City, Fla./Martin County HS) hit a sacrifice fly to center field to make it a 10-0 lead.
 
Lipscomb threatened with a pair of runners in scoring position in the bottom of the fifth, but Leon got Adam Lee swinging for his seventh strikeout of the game to end the inning. Two frames later, the Bisons got on the scoreboard as they scratched a pair of runs across on a RBI groundout from Michael Gigliotti and RBI single from Lee Solomon.
 
The Green and Blue quickly got the runs back, though, as Noll and Selesky started the top of the eighth with back-to-back doubles before Jay Hayes (Altamonte Springs, Fla./Lyman HS) hit a RBI single to center field.
 
In the top of the ninth, FGCU sent 12 batters to the plate and scored seven runs to make it a rout. Smith gave the Eagles a 13-2 lead with a RBI single up the middle before Selesky put an exclamation point on the afternoon as he smoked a 2-0 pitch over the wall in right field for a grand slam. Again with the bases loaded later in the inning, Zachary Orchard (Cambridge, Ontario/Jacob Hespeler Secondary School) stepped to the plate for the second time in the frame and hit a sac fly to right field before Reardon hit a RBI single to cap things off.
 
Lipscomb added two more runs in their final at-bat, but it was much too late as FGCU cruised to the win with freshman pitchers Philip Sieli (Wellington, Fla./Wellington HS) and Nick Blasucci (Fort Myers, Fla./Riverdale HS) closing it out. For Blasucci, it was his collegiate pitching debut as he struck out a Lipscomb batter in the ninth.
 
Nine Eagles registered a hit in the game, led by Selesky's career day as he went 4-for-5 with two runs scored and a career high six RBI, while Noll and Smith also added three-hit performances. As a team, the Green and Blue took advantage of scoring opportunities for much of the afternoon by going 16-for-28 with runners on base and 11-for-17 when in scoring position. Additionally, the top four hitters in the FGCU order combined to go 12-for-21 with 11 runs scored and 14 driven in.
 
The series finale between the Eagles and Bisons is scheduled for Sunday at 1 p.m. With their by-committee approach, FGCU's starter for tomorrow's rubber match is to be determined while Lipscomb will send Kyle Kemp (2-1, 5.32) to the mound.

DAVE TOLLETT
In 13+ seasons of work, FGCU head coach Dave Tollett has compiled a 486-290-3 record (.626) 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.