FORT MYERS, Fla. – On a day when the team honored the life of former Eagle Alex Diaz, #12 FGCU (21-3) found itself in another hard-fought affair with Jackson State (18-10, 6-3 SWAC) but used a pair of eighth-inning insurance runs to ultimately defeat the visiting Tigers, 6-4, Saturday afternoon at Swanson Stadium.

Entering its at-bat in the bottom of the eighth with a 4-2 lead, the Eagles were able to extend its advantage to 6-2 with a pair of two-out RBI doubles from Matt Reardon and Julio Gonzalez. After eight-hole hitter Gage Morey (West Palm Beach, Fla./PB Central HS) got things going with a hard-hit single up the middle, Reardon (Palm City, Fla./Martin County HS) stepped to the plate two batters later and burned Jackson State left fielder Jarvis Warner for a RBI double that scored the speedy Morey from first. Two pitches later, Gonzalez (Bayamon, Puerto Rico/Seminole State College (OK)/Brito Miami Private HS) ripped an 0-1 pitch into the right-center-field gap to score Reardon and increase the lead to four.

The two insurance runs proved to be crucial as Jackson State wouldn't go away in its final at-bat. After Sam Campbell reached on a leadoff error and Bryce Brown doubled to put a pair of runners in scoring position, pinch hitter Jesus Santana brought them both in on a RBI double down the right-field line. However, with the tying run at the plate, FGCU right hander Kutter Crawford, who was seeing action for the first time since Mar. 11, struck out the next two batters to earn the save and preserve the win for the Eagles.

Crawford's (Okeechobee, Fla./Indian River State/Okeechobee HS) 3.0 innings of relief came after an impressive outing from FGCU starter Peyton Gray (3-0, 3.73), who tossed 5.2 innings and allowed two runs (one earned) on three hits with a season-high-matching six strikeouts and no walks. Gray (Columbus, Ind./Gulf Coast State/Columbus East HS) retired the first 13 batters of the game before allowing a run to score in the fifth and another in the sixth.

FGCU's win not only marks its seventh straight and 17th in the team's last 18 games, but also claims the Eagles' seventh straight series to start the season. As the team stays on pace with the 2005 team that started the season 23-3 thanks to a program-record 19-game win streak, the Eagles' lone loss since Feb. 24 game against defending Big Ten Tournament Champion Ohio State, who is still the only team to defeat #1 Oregon State this season. 

"It was a very emotional day for us," said FGCU head coach Dave Tollett. "Alex's smile was always radiant, and he loved to play the game of baseball. It was a great tribute and a great way to pay respect for all Alex did for FGCU baseball. On the field, I thought Peyton pitched exceptionally well and the bullpen did its job. Those insurance runs at the end proved to be huge, and the eighth inning was big for us again today."

FGCU scored first for the fourth straight game and improved to 14-0 when doing so as Eli Lovell (Lincoln, Neb./Kansas City Kansas CC/Lincoln Southwest HS) got things going with a RBI single in the bottom of the fourth. With no outs and a runner on third, Alex Brait (Viera, Fla./Viera HS) lifted a 2-2 pitch to left to score Corey Fehribach (Douglasville, Ga./West Georgia CC/Alexander HS) and make it a 2-0 ballgame.

After Jackson State cut into the lead in the top of the fifth on a nicely executed double steal with runners on the corners, the Eagles got the run back and then some in the home half of the frame. With runners on first and second and one out, Fehribach smashed a 1-2 pitch off the right-field fence to score Reardon and advance Gonzalez to third. Lovell then stepped to the plate and drove in Gonzalez on a sacrifice fly to right field.

Jackson State refused to go away, though, as the Tigers scored for the second straight inning in the top of the sixth. On what should have been the third out of the inning following a dropped toss on a sacrifice bunt earlier in the frame, Lamar Briggs flied out to center field to score Lakon Wilson from third.

However, Crawford and the FGCU bullpen did a good job of holding the Tigers in check in the seventh and eighth before escaping a jam in the final frame. Jackson State's second run in the ninth inning snapped a streak of 30.0 consecutive innings in which the FGCU bullpen handn't allowed an earned run.

Offensively, Morey collected his first three-hit game of the season and raised his average 35 points in the game. Reardon and Fehribach joined the redshirt junior speedster with a pair of hits, while Lovell drove in two runs in the game.

UP NEXT
The series finale between FGCU and Jackson State is scheduled for tomorrow at 1 p.m. Going for its third weekend sweep of the season and second straight, FGCU will send southpaw Josh Dye (4-1, 3.16) to the mound opposite Tigers right hander Miguel Yrigoyen (3-1, 2.08).

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 511-299-3 record (.629) 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, 15 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.