TAMPA, Fla. – The FGCU softball team dropped its final two non-conference games of the season Thursday evening. The Eagles (22-26) suffered a hard-fought 1-0 defeat to USF (31-21) before falling 9-2 in the nightcap.

"Even though the score of Game Two does not indicate it, we competed hard and had a chance to win both games," said head coach David Deiros. "We will take all the good things that happened and learn from our mistakes as a springboard for our series this weekend."

Riley Randolph (St. Petersburg, Fla./Northeast HS) continued to roll tossing 3.2 innings of no-hit ball but FGCU was unable to tack on an early run sending the game into the fifth scoreless. The Eagles put two runners on in the fifth but the final hit avoided the Green and Blue. USF capitalized on its first opportunity, plating a run on three hits. FGCU had a chance to tie in the seventh but a play at the plate kept the Green and Blue scoreless in a 1-0 ballgame.

FGCU scored a run in the first and a run in the fourth, a LuLu Newmark (Pembroke Pines, Fla./American Heritage HS/Bowling Green) home run, to take a 2-1 lead into the bottom half of the fifth. USF broke the game open, scoring six runs in the fifth and two more in the sixth for the 9-2 win.

GAME ONE: USF 1, FGCU 0
The Eagles put the Bulls under pressure immediately in the first inning with consecutive singles from Kelsey Huff (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla./Dwyer HS) and Natalie Lopez (Miami, Fla./Westminster Christian HS) to lead off the game. FGCU was kept off the board though on a play at the plate along with a fly out and a strikeout.

While her four perfect innings were not official, Randolph continued her impressive performance in the circle, holding USF to just two baserunners, both reached on errors.

This allowed FGCU to have another opportunity to push across the game's first run in the fifth on two more singles but a strikeout ended the threat to keep the game scoreless.

The Bulls broke through in the bottom of the fifth, plating a run on three hits and with two outs on the board.

The Eagles had one more chance to tie or take the lead in the final inning, but another play at the plate kept FGCU scoreless.

Randolph (12-9) suffered the loss, allowing one run on five hits while striking out seven. Gabbee Draney (Miami, Fla./Gulliver Prep HS) pitched the final inning, surrendering one hit while striking out one.

GAME TWO: USF 9, FGCU 2
The Eagles grabbed an early lead in the second end of the doubleheader when Bri Innamorato (Mullica Hill, N.J./Bishop Eustace HS) singled in Huff. USF got the run back in the bottom half of the inning on a sacrifice fly to send the game into the fourth 1-1.

Newmark crushed her first home run of the season in the fourth to put FGCU back in front as the game entered the fifth.

USF responded with six in the fifth and two in the sixth for the 9-2 final.

Taylor Wade (Pace, Fla./Pace HS) suffered the loss, throwing 4.2 innings while allowing three earned runs on nine hits. Morgan White (Ocala, Fla./Forest HS) worked the final 1.1 innings, allowing two runs on three hits.

UP NEXT
The Eagles wrap up their 10-game roadstand with a three-game series at Stetson. The conference series is slated to begin Saturday at 1 p.m.

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 (566-294-3). 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.