FORT MYERS, Fla. – After falling behind 9-0 through four innings, FGCU (28-11, 4-5 ASUN) outscored and outhit FIU (22-15, 8-7 C-USA) in the final five frames but ultimately came up short as the Eagles dropped a 12-5 decision to the visiting Panthers Tuesday night at Swanson Stadium.

FIU recorded its nine runs in the first four innings on 10 hits but was held to just four hits the remainder of the game. On the other hand, FGCU was held scoreless while recording only one hit in its first four at-bats but plated five runs on 11 hits from the fifth through ninth innings. However, the nine-run deficit proved to be insurmountable as FGCU hurt itself with three walks, five hit by pitches and two errors that lead to a pair of unearned runs.

Trailing 9-1 entering the bottom of the sixth, the Eagles appeared primed for a big inning as they plated a pair of runs on a RBI triple from Julio Gonzalez (Bayamon, Puerto Rico/Seminole State College (OK)/Brito Miami Private HS) and RBI double from Richie Garcia (Davie, Fla./West Broward HS) and had the bases loaded with nobody out. However, FIU reliever Michael Agis got a 3-2-3 double play and strikeout to escape the frame without further damage done.

Both starting pitchers factored into the decision as Mario Leon (3-2, 4.33) suffered the loss while his Panther counterpart, Robert Garcia (4-4, 3.86), earned the win. Leon (Naples, Fla./Gulf Coast HS), who has a trio of midweek wins against Florida, USF and Miami already this season, struggled on the bump tonight as he allowed eight runs (seven earned) on eight hits in 3.2 innings of work. Garcia, on the other hand, faced two over the minimum through 4.0 innings before running into some trouble. He faced the first five batters of the sixth inning and allowed three runs on seven hits with two walks and seven strikeouts. Agis recorded the 12-out save.

"Everyone has a bad outing, and I tell the guys that all the time. It just wasn't Mario's night," said FGCU head coach Dave Tollett. "Walks, hit by pitches and errors came back to hurt us. If we eliminate those mistakes, we're right in the game. We're starting to swing the bats again. We just need to get it all clicking at the same time."

FIU wasted no time in getting on the scoreboard as the Panthers loaded the bases with two outs in the first inning and scored four runs on back-to-back two-RBI base knocks from Nick Day and Zach Files to jump out to an early lead.

FGCU had a chance to get a couple of runs back after a one-out single from Alex Brait (Viera, Fla./Viera HS) and walk from Nick Rivera (Cape Coral, Fla./Bishop Verot HS) in the home half of the frame. After both advanced 90 feet into scoring position on a passed ball, FIU's Garcia retired the next two Eagles he faced to get out of the inning unscathed.

The Panthers put up their second crooked number of the game with five runs in the top of the fourth. Zach Files hit a leadoff home run before Irving Lopez drove in Kobe Lopez on a single up the middle and later scored on Zach Soria's RBI single to center field. With Leon's day done, Kenny Meimerstorf sent the second pitch he saw from FGCU reliever Christian Townsend (Safety Harbor, Fla./Countryside HS) over the fence in left field to make it a 9-0 ballgame.

FGCU got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fifth as Matt Reardon (Palm City, Fla./Martin County HS), who had been put out on a pair of line drives to the outfield in his first two at-bats, delivered with a RBI single into right field.

After the Eagles plated a pair of runs but missed on a key opportunity in the aforementioned bottom of the sixth, FIU loaded the bases with nobody out in the top of the seventh. It appeared FGCU reliever Parker Hamilton (Jupiter, Fla./Jupiter HS) would get out of the inning unscathed, though, as he struck out Soria and got Meimerstorf to ground into a potential inning-ending double play. However, the chopper skipped off the glove of Gonzalez at short and made its way into center field to bring in two runs and extend the FIU lead to 11-3.

The Green and Blue scored for the third straight inning in the home half of the seventh as Reardon hit a leadoff triple to deep center field and scored two batters later on Rivera's RBI single up the middle. Back-to-back two-out singles from Garcia and Gage Morey (West palm Beach, Fla./PB Central HS) brought in Rivera and cut the FIU lead to 11-5.

However, it was too little, too late for FGCU as Files hit his second home run of the ballgame with one out in the eighth to cap off the scoring on both sides.

Offensively, FGCU's 12 hits were its most since also recording 12 hits against Jacksonville on Apr. 1. On the other hand, the Eagles' 12 runs allowed were the most since allowing a season-high 13 runs to Bethune-Cookman on Feb. 24. Morey turned in his third three-hit game of the season while Reardon, Gonzalez and Garcia added a pair of hits for the Green and Blue.

UP NEXT
FGCU travels across Alligator Alley for the second game of its home-and-home midweek series against FIU. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. at the FIU Baseball Stadium. Neither team has announced its starting pitcher for the contest.

TICKETS
Single game tickets for the remainder of the 2017 FGCU baseball season are now sale. 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 518-307-3 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, 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 visit www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry and utilize the hashtag #FeedFGCU to help raise awareness.