FORT MYERS, Fla. – After storming back from a five-run deficit to tie the game, 6-6, in the bottom of the eighth, FGCU (24-30, 9-12 A-Sun) ultimately came up short as they dropped the regular-season finale vs. Kennesaw State (29-25, 17-4 A-Sun), 8-7, Saturday afternoon at Swanson Stadium.
 
Entering the bottom of the fourth inning in a 5-0 hole, the Eagles were able to score one run in the fourth, one in the sixth, two in the seventh and two in the eighth to come all the way back and tie the game, 6-6.
 
However, Kennesaw State scored two runs in the top of the ninth to reclaim its lead. With two outs and a runner on third, Austin Upshaw lifted a ball in no-man's land down the left field line that dropped past the glove of a diving Zach Spivey (Ormond Beach, Fla./Spruce Creek HS) and allowed the go-ahead run to score. Three pitches later, Jeremy Howell bounced a ball through the right side to score Upshaw and give the Owls a two-run cushion.
 
Kennesaw State closer Erich Stahl struggled with his command to start the bottom of the frame as he hit Zachary Orchard (Cambridge, Ontario/Jacob Hespeler Secondary School) and walked Matt Reardon (Palm City, Fla./Martin County HS) to put the first two Eagles aboard. Jake Noll (Punta Gorda, Fla./Charlotte HS) then reached on an error and Orchard came around to score on the play to bring FGCU within one, but Reardon was indecisive around second and was tagged out on the play. After Tyler Selesky (Estero, Fla./Estero HS) was hit by a pitch and Jay Hayes (Altamonte, Fla./Lyman HS) was walked to load the bases with one out, the Owls used two pitchers to retire the next two batters and preserve the win.
 
The Eagles left the bases loaded in the final two innings after bringing them full with one out in each frame to ultimately come up short. FGCU reliever Nick Blasucci (0-1, 10.80) suffered the loss, while Richard Lovelady (4-3, 3.02) earned the win and Logan Hutchinson recorded his first save of the season for Kennesaw State.
 
"I was proud of the way the guys responded to come from behind today," said FGCU head coach Dave Tollett. "We just made too many costly mistakes to get it done. We're still in the same situation heading into next week, and we believe this thing really is anyone's tournament. Let's see if we can't string a couple wins together and see where we are at this point next week."
 
FGCU started its furious comeback in the home half of the sixth when Selesky, a senior who was honored prior to the game, hit his second home run of the contest and 12th of the season to cut the Owls' lead to 5-2.
 
The Eagles then scored two more runs in the bottom of the seventh when pinch hitter Stefano Belmonte (Chicago, Ill./South Suburban College) hit a two-RBI single up the middle to score Colton Bottomley (Parkland, Fla,/Marjory Stoneman Douglas HS) and Spivey and make it a 5-4 ballgame.
 
Kennesaw State pushed its lead back to two in the top of the eighth as Griffin Helms hit a high fly ball to right-center field that got up into the wind and carried out of the ballpark.
 
Again, though, the Green and Blue battled back to tie it up in the home half as Hayes hit a pinch-hit RBI single up the middle to score Reardon before Spivey followed suite with a sharp liner right back at Lovelady to score Selesky and knot the game at six. It was Spivey's fourth hit this season that either won or tied the game in the eighth inning or later. However, after Lovelady hit Bottomley to load the bases with one out, the Kennesaw State southpaw fanned a pair to keep the score tied.
 
After entering their final at-bat in another two-run deficit, the Eagles looked destined to force extra innings or win it in regulation, but, with the bases loaded, a sinking liner into center field off the bat of Bottomley was stabbed by Jordan Getzelman to end the game.
 
Offensively, Selesky showed up big in his final game at Swanson Stadium with a 3-for-3 performance including the pair of solo home runs to go along with three runs scored. Additionally, Spivey went 3-for-4 with one runs scored and another driven in on the day and has now recorded four consecutive multi-hit games.
 
NEXT UP
Despite Saturday's loss, the Green and Blue have claimed the No. 5 seed in next week's A-Sun Baseball Tournament and will square off with No. 2 UNF Wednesday at 4 p.m. ET in Nashville, Tenn. The tournament is a double-elimination format with the Championship scheduled for Saturday at 2 p.m. ET. In their regular-season meeting earlier this season, FGCU dropped two of three games to the Ospreys at Swanson Stadium, but the Eagles hold a 20-11 record in the all-time series with UNF.

DAVE TOLLETT
In 14 seasons of work, FGCU head coach Dave Tollett has compiled a 487-294-3 record (.624) 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.