FORT MYERS, Fla. – The FGCU softball dropped a pair of contests to FAU Wednesday night. The Eagles (21-21) dropped a heartbreaking pitcher's duel in extra innings and then succumbed to defensive miscues in the second game against the Owls (27-15).

"I thought Riley threw one hell of a game one, striking out 12 and keeping their bats under control," said head coach David Deiros. "We really had a chance to get out of that inning with no runs, we just didn't make the plays we needed to. We had our chances to win the ballgame, we just couldn't get that third run. Lot of good stuff today, even in game two. I thought we battled back but we just gave away too many opportunities. You can't make those mistakes and survive against good teams."

Home runs from Brittany McGuire (Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla./Ponte Vedra HS) and Caley Chappel (Ocala, Fla./Forest HS/USC Upstate) put FGCU in front 2-0 after two innings of play but a rally in the fifth for FAU negated the lead and ultimately forced extra innings. FAU grabbed a 3-2 lead on a home run in the ninth and claimed the victory in the opener. Riley Randolph (St. Petersburg, Fla./Northeast HS) struck out a career-high 12 batters in the contest.

Five defensive errors led to seven unearned runs for the Owls in an 8-3 loss for the Eagles. After swapping runs in the first, FAU scored its second run in the third before a five-run fourth broke the game open. FGCU tallied runs in the fifth and seventh, falling 8-3.

GAME ONE: FAU 3, FGCU 2 (9 Innings)
Two swings of the bat in the second inning put FGCU in front. McGuire led off the FGCU half with a home run on the very first pitch she saw. Two batters later, the lead became 2-0 when Chappel hit her first home run as an Eagle, finding the video board in left.

Randolph took over from there, keeping the Owls off the board while stranding a pair of runners in the third. The left-hander struck out two in the inning, putting her total at six through three innings.

FGCU remained in front 2-0 until the fifth when FAU plated two runs on a pair of hits while Randolph's strikeout total rose to eight.

The Eagles had a chance to take the lead in the fifth, putting two runners with Racquel Fournet (Windermere, Fla./Windermere Preparatory School) at the plate. The sophomore found the hole on the right side of the infield only for Delaney Rickey to come up throwing, keeping the game tied by delivering a perfect throw to the plate.

Two more strikeouts for Randolph in the sixth allowed FGCU to attempt to win the game in the seventh. Verderese singled to center with two outs, which Kelsey Huff (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla./Dwyer HS) followed with a single of her own. Ashley Swiderski (Naples, Fla./Barron Collier HS) then reached on a fielder's choice, bringing Fournet to the plate with the bases loaded. Fournet just missed a walk-off grand slam, flying out to the warning track in left.

The Owls broke the deadlock in the ninth on a solo shot but the Eagles did not go down quietly, putting two runners on but neither would score.

Randolph's 12 strikeouts matched the 10th highest total in program history and the most since Kelci Breaux fanned 14 batters in 2011.

GAME TWO: FAU 8, FGCU 3
The Eagles canceled out an early run for the Owls when Fournet grounded out to score Huff but unearned runs in the third and fourth all but put the game out of reach as the Owls took a 7-1 lead into the fifth.

The Eagles however fought back, loading the bases in the fifth inning leading to Huff scoring on a ground out off the bat of Bri Innamorato (Mullica Hill, N.J./Bishop Eustace HS). McGuire followed with a base hit through the right side, but for the second time, Rickey cut down a runner at the plate.

Following another unearned run for FAU in the sixth, FGCU loaded the bases once again in the seventh and again scored on a fielder's choice. The big inning eluded the Eagles as the Green and Blue fell 8-3.

Taylor Wade (Pace, Fla./Pace HS) suffered the loss, allowing one earned run over seven innings.

UP NEXT
The Eagles have the weekend off before making the trip to Miami to face FIU Wednesday.

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 (561-284-3). 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.