FORT MYERS, Fla. – Trailing 9-4 in its final at bat, the #24 FGCU baseball team (13-2) used a six-run ninth inning to cap off a furious rally and defeat defending Big Ten Tournament Champion Ohio State (5-7), 10-9, Friday night at Swanson Stadium.

With the win, FGCU – which was tabbed #15 in the RPI entering the game – extended its win streak to nine games and continued its best start to a season in program history. The team's current win streak is the longest since winning 10 straight during the 2013 campaign.

The Eagles were able to get the first five batters on base and score a couple of runs to cut the Buckeyes' lead to three before the first out in the bottom of the ninth was recorded. With one out and the bases loaded, Gage Morey (West Palm Beach, Fla./PB Central HS) hit a comebacker to Ohio State pitcher Yianni Pavlopoulos, whose throw to the plate was wide and allowed another Eagle to score. Leadoff man Matt Reardon (Palm City, Fla./Martin County HS) then stepped to the dish and hit a 3-2 fastball through the right side of the infield to bring in a pair of runs and tie the game. With three base knocks already in the ballgame, Julio Gonzalez (Bayamon, Puerto Rico/Seminole State College (OK)/Brito Miami Private HS) hit what appeared to be a Taylor Made double play up the middle. However, the throw following the turn from Ohio State second baseman Noah McGowan sailed over the first base dugout and allowed Morey to score the winning run in walk-off fashion.  

After entering the game in the ninth, freshman southpaw Trey Vickery (1-0, 3.86) earned his first collegiate win while Pavlopoulos (1-1, 6.30) came into the game five batters into the ninth and suffered the loss. Vickery (Port Orange, Fla./Spruce Creek HS) issued a leadoff walk in the frame, but retired the next three Ohio State batters, including a strikeout of Dominic Canzone, to end the half inning.

"What a way to end a ballgame," said FGCU head coach Dave Tollett. "We were putting together quality at bats most of the night and hit some balls on the screws, but we just couldn't catch a break until the ninth. We got the leadoff guy on and went from there. I'll tell you what, when you're hot, you're hot. I don't think we've ever scored six runs in the ninth to win one like that."

FGCU jumped out to an early lead as the team took advantage of an Ohio State error in the bottom of the first inning. An error on Buckeye first baseman Bo Coolen allowed Gonzalez to round third and score the first run of the ballgame, before Eli Lovell (Lincoln Neb./Kansas City Kansas CC/Lincoln Southwest HS) made the miscue hurt as he hit a RBI single to left field and push the Eagles' lead to 2-0.

After Ohio State got on the scoreboard in the top of the second, Morey provided some fireworks as the redshirt junior outfielder hit the first home run of his FGCU career over the net in right field to keep the margin at two. However, the visitors' bats exploded in the fifth as the Buckeyes scored four runs – all coming with two outs – on four hits and capitalized on a pair of FGCU errors to take a 5-3 lead.

FGCU then cut the lead to one on a RBI groundout from Spencer Levine (Miami, Fla./Seminole State College/Miami Killian Senior HS) in the home half of the fifth, but Ohio State widened its lead to 9-4 with three runs in the seventh and one more in the eighth. McGowan hit a solo home run to get things going in the seventh before Tyler Cowels hit a two-RBI double to left for the Buckeyes. Jalen Washington then hit his second RBI double of the night to make it a 9-4 ballgame through eight innings.

Despite putting together quality at bats and hitting the ball hard throughout the game, the Eagles were held to one hit from the fifth inning until the ninth. However, the offense came to life when it needed, and the Green and Blue put together its furious rally to end the night in the aforementioned dramatic fashion.

Gonzalez and Lovell led the way for the offense as each put together a three-hit performance. For Lovell, it was the first of his FGCU career. Additionally, Reardon, who extended his hit streak to 12 games with his game-tying single in the ninth, and Levine drove in a pair of runs.

UP NEXT
Due to the threat of rain in the forecast, game two of the Eagles three-game set against the Buckeyes has been moved to 1 p.m. tomorrow. FGCU will send reigning ASUN Pitcher of the Week Kutter Crawford (3-0, 1.35) to the mound to face Ohio State right hander Ryan Feltner (0-2, 5.51).

2017 SCHEDULE
The Eagles' schedule features eight teams that participated in the 2016 NCAA Base­ball Tournament including a pair of College World Series participants in preseason #2 Florida and preseason #8 Miami along with Super Regional participant and preseason #3 FSU. The five remaining NCAA Tournament teams include defending Big Ten Tournament Champion Ohio State, defending ASUN Tournament Champion Stetson, defending CAA Champion UNC Wilmington, defending C-USA Champion FAU and defending MEAC Tournament Champion Bethune-Cookman. Twenty-six of FGCU's first 30 games will be contested in Southwest Florida with 24 games scheduled to be played at Swanson Stadium and two additional games at JetBlue Park, the Spring Training home of the Boston Red Sox. From Feb. 24 through Mar. 15, the Eagles are scheduled to play 13 consecutive games against five of the aforementioned NCAA Tournament teams.

TICKETS
Single game and season ticket packages for the 2017 FGCU baseball season are now on sale. Season tickets for games contested at Swanson Stadium can be purchased for $99, while single game tickets are $7 for adults and $5 for youth (12 and under), military and groups. For questions or more information, please contact the FGCU Ticket Office at 239-590-7145. Additionally, tickets for next Wednesday's games versus #2 FSU can be purchased online by clicking here or by calling the JetBlue Park Ticket Office at 239-334-4700.

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.

DAVE TOLLETT
In his 15th season of work, FGCU head coach Dave Tollett has compiled a 503-298-3 record (.626) as the only head coach in the program's history. He is a four-time ASUN Coach of the Year and has guided the Green and Blue to four ASUN Regular Season Championships. His team has been ranked nationally on several occasions by multiple media outlets and has coached 42 All-Conference selections, 27 draft picks, three current major leaguers, 19 current minor leaguers, four ASUN Pitchers of the Year, four All-Americans, two ASUN Players of the Year, one National Freshman Player of the Year, one National Player of the Year and one five-time MLB All-Star.

#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.