FORT MYERS, Fla. – An early deficit and three errors was too much to overcome for the FGCU softball team Sunday afternoon, falling 6-1 to in-state rivals FIU. The Eagles (8-6) were put in an early 4-0 deficit against the Panthers (11-5) and the home side could not recover.

"Quite frankly it was a very poor showing by our team today as far as doing the things that need to be done," said head coach David Deiros. "And that falls solely on my shoulders. We will be a better team coming out and competing Wednesday and in the future, but that's on me. I didn't prepare my team well enough for today and that's not going to happen again."

It was a rough first inning as the visitors from Miami plated four runs on two errors and a home run. An additional fielding miscue in the second increased the deficit to 5-0 and a sacrifice fly later in the game made it 6-0. The Eagles scattered four hits in the game, putting together a pair of them in the sixth for their only run of the game

A three-run home run put FGCU in a rare situation in 2017, an early deficit. That deficit grew to 4-0 as the Panthers capitalized on two errors in the first inning.

FGCU had a chance to get back into the game early when Racquel Fournet (Windermere, Fla./Windermere Preparatory School) drew a two-out walk in the first, but the rally ended with a pop out to end the inning.

Another error in the second allowed a fifth run to score for FIU only for FGCU to have a chance to cut into lead in the second. Morgan White (Ocala, Fla./Forest HS), who got the start in the circle, doubles down the line in left to lead off the second inning however the freshman was stranded on the bases.

Trailing 6-0, FGCU broke through on a Brittany McGuire (Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla./Ponte Vedra HS) double that scored Fournet in the sixth with two outs and that would be all for FGCU offensively against the Panthers, falling 6-1.

White (0-2) pitched a complete game, allowing four earned runs while striking out six batters.

UP NEXT
FGCU has a midweek contest against UCF March 1 at the FGCU Softball Complex before making the trip to Orlando to face both Providence and UCF over the weekend.

DAY THREE RESULTS
Wisconsin 5, Rutgers 1
Hofstra 3, Boston College 1
FIU 6, FGCU 1

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 recently enters his 15th 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 .669 (550-27-3). 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.