SPARTANBURG, S.C. – A day after registering a season-high 18 runs on 19 hits, the FGCU (21-25, 7-8 A-Sun) bats stayed hot as the Eagles registered a new season high in hits and claimed a 15-13 win in the series finale against USC Upstate (20-25, 3-11 A-Sun) Sunday afternoon at Harley Park.
 
The team's 21 hits in today's contest marked a new season high as the Eagles surpassed yesterday's total of 19 and finished the three-game set versus the Spartans with 36 runs on 50 hits.
 
USC Upstate made things interesting as they scored four runs and had the bases loaded with one out in their last at-bat, but FGCU reliever Clint Knoblauch (Wellington, Fla./Wellington HS) entered the game and earned the save after striking out both batters faced. Kenton Hering (1-1, 6.48) earned his first win with the Green and Blue while Blake Whitney suffered the loss for Upstate.
 
"That got interesting there at the end, but we got out of here with a win,' said FGCU head coach Dave Tollett. "I liked the way we swung the bats the last two days, but we have to a better job of pitching. That's the bottom line if we want to have a chance come tournament time. Great job of Clint entering the game in a tight situation and getting it done."
 
FGCU jumped out to an early lead and never looked back in the high-scoring affair as the Eagles scored two or more runs in each of the first five innings and crossed the plate in seven of nine frames during the day.
 
Jay Hayes (Altamonte Springs, Fla./Lyman HS) got things going in the top of the first with a two-RBI single to left field and the Eagles took advantage of a USC Upstate fielding error in their next at-bat to score three runs and take an early 5-1 lead.
 
After FGCU pushed the lead to 7-3 behind RBI from Zach Orchard (Cambridge, Ontario/Jacob Hespeler Secondary School) and Matt Reardon (Palm City, Fla./Martin County HS) in the top of the third, Upstate narrowed the margin to 7-6 with three runs of their own in the home half.
 
However, FGCU scored two runs in each of the next two innings while holding the Spartans scoreless to extend its lead to 11-6. The Eagles again took advantage of errors in the field with Hayes and Orchard driving in runs in the fourth. The next inning, Jake Noll (Punta Gorda, Fla./Charlotte HS) and Jake Smith (Windermere, Fla./Windermere Prep) each recorded RBI extra-base hits.
 
Again, Upstate narrowed the Green and Blue lead with three runs in the sixth inning, but FGCU was able to get two back before the seventh inning stretch as Hayes and Tyler Selesky (Estero, Fla./Estero HS) brought in runs.
 
To cap off the afternoon, Selesky deposited a 1-0 pitch over the wall in right-center field before Orchard matched the program record with his fifth hit of the afternoon, this one scoring pinch runner Brady Anderson (Arcadia, Fla./DeSoto County HS) from second and making the score 15-9. Selesky's home run was his seventh of the season and second in as many days against the Spartans.
 
Upstate put together a furious rally in their final at-bat as they scored four runs to cut the lead to 15-13 and had the bases loaded with one out. However, Knoblauch entered the game in the aforementioned tough situation closed the door.
 
Offensively, Orchard, Reardon and Noll combined to go 13-for-17 from the plate with seven runs and seven RBI in the game. To go along with Orchard's program-record tying hit total in the game, the middle infield duo each recorded four hits. For Noll, it was his second straight four-hit performance and his fourth game with four or more hits this season. Additionally, Hayes had a career day from the plate as he went 3-for-6 with two runs scored and three more driven in.

NEXT UP
The Green and Blue have added a midweek game with yet another top-five team as they will travel to Tallahassee, Fla., to take on No. 5 FSU Wednesday, May 11 at 1 p.m. The Eagles are 2-7 in the all-time series with the Seminoles and most recently split a two-game set at Dick Howser Stadium in 2015. They were one of four teams to shut out FSU last season with perennial powers Miami, Louisville and Clemson being the other three.

DAVE TOLLETT
In 13+ seasons of work, FGCU head coach Dave Tollett has compiled a 484-289-3 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.