FORT MYERS, Fla. – Coming off its first win against a top-ranked opponent in program history, the #21 FGCU baseball team (16-3) showed no signs of complacency as the Eagles jumped out to an early lead and never looked back in the team's 5-2 victory against Rutgers (6-11) Friday night at Swanson Stadium.

FGCU starter Garrett Anderson (2-0, 3.65) turned in a career-best performance on the mound as he allowed two runs on seven hits with eight strikeouts and no walks in 8.0 innings pitched. Anderson's (Arcadia, Fla./DeSoto County HS) 8.0 innings pitched is not only good for a new career high, but is also the most by a FGCU starter this season. Additionally, his eight strikeouts matched his single-game best in the category.

"It feels really good, there's no hidden truths about that," said FGCU head coach Dave Tollett. "It feels really good, and we're having a lot of fun. I thought we had a little bit of a hangover last Friday night, but tonight we played much more soundly. Garrett was phenomenal tonight. When he was ahead in the count, he dominated the ballgame. He had eight strikeouts, but the key stat is no walks. They had to beat us, and when we attack the zone as a pitching staff, we're pretty good."

FGCU, who entered the game ranked 19th in the NCAA's latest RPI poll, got out to an early lead in the bottom of the second inning as Spencer Levine (Miami, Fla./Seminole State College/Miami Killian Senior HS) hit a RBI double into the left-center-field gap to score Corey Fehribach (Douglasville, Ga./West Georgia CC/Alexander HS), who led off the inning with a single. Two batters later, FGCU extended its lead to 2-0 as Richie Garcia (Davie, Fla./West Broward HS) hit a RBI double of his own that bounced over the fence in left-center.

Rutgers got on the scoreboard with a two-out solo home run from leadoff man Jawuan Harris in the top of the third, but the Eagles responded right back with two more runs in the home half. Levine collected his second hit of the game and drove in his second run as a line drive back up the middle struck Rutgers starter John O'Reilly in the back. Designated hitter Nick Rivera (Cape Coral, Fla./Bishop Verot HS) followed with a RBI single through the left side of the infield to extend the lead to 4-1.

The Scarlett Knights tagged their second solo home run in as many innings as cleanup hitter Tom Marcinczyk hit an opposite-field shot in the top of the fourth, but the Eagles got it back by manufacturing a run in the bottom of the fifth. Eli Lovell (Lincoln, Neb./Kansas City Kansas CC/Lincoln Southwest HS) was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. He then advanced to second on a passed ball and came all the way around to score as the throw from catcher Chris Folinusz not only skipped into the outfield, but also went under the glove of Harris in center field. Lovell's run later became earned as it was followed with two walks and another hit-by-pitch.

After Anderson's impressive performance on the mound, fellow senior Sterling Koerner (Fort Pierce, Fla./John Carroll HS) tossed a perfect ninth inning for the second straight game and recorded his conference-best sixth save of the season. His sixth save through 19 games already places him in a tie for third in FGCU's single-season history. The save also marks Koerner's 13th of his career, which gets him to within one save of tying the program record currently held by J.J. Crumbly.

The senior duo combined to hold the Scarlet Knights hitless in the final three innings, while the Green and Blue defense turned in its fourth clean slate of the season and third in the last 10 days.

Levine led the way offensively as he was the lone Eagles to collect a pair of hits in the game while also driving in a pair of runs. It was Levine's fifth multi-hit performance of the season and team-best sixth game with two or more RBI – pushing his season total to 20.

UP NEXT
Game two of the three-game series vs. Rutgers is scheduled for Saturday at 2 p.m. FGCU will start left hander Josh Dye (3-1, 2.81), while the Scarlet Knights will send right hander Serafino Brito (0-4, 5.48) to the mound.  

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.

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 506-299-3 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.