NEWARK, N.J. – The FGCU baseball team (29-16, 5-8 ASUN) overcame both an early and late deficit en route to defeating NJIT (4-32, 0-13 ASUN), 7-5, in extra innings Friday night at Bears & Eagles Riverfront Stadium.

Trailing 5-4 in the top of the ninth, the Eagles got the run they needed as Corey Fehribach (Douglasville, Ga./West Georgia CC/Alexander HS) drew a leadoff walk and was pinch ran for by Marc Coffers (Naples, Fla./Barron Collier HS), who later scored the game-tying run on a RBI single from Gage Morey (West Palm Beach, Fla./PB Central HS) to force extra innings.

After Kenton Hering (5-3, 2.17) stranded a runner in scoring position in the bottom of the ninth, Richie Garcia (Davie, Fla./West Broward HS) drove in the go-ahead run on a RBI single through the left side of the infield in the top of the 10th inning. Eli Lovell (Lincoln, Neb./Kansas City Kansas CC/Lincoln Southwest HS) then drove in an insurance run with a sacrifice fly to right field before Hering (Melbourne, Fla./Eastern Florida State/Viera HS) shut the door with a near perfect ninth.

FGCU's win snaps a season-long six-game win streak as the Eagles improve to 4-0 against NJIT in the Highlanders' second season in the ASUN. Additionally, it marks the Green and Blue's first win in extra-innings this season after dropping its first two affairs earlier this month. With USC Upstate idle this weekend, the Eagles' lead against the Spartans increases to a game and a half in conference play.

"Our guys found a way to get it done tonight," said FGCU head coach Dave Tollett. "Getting the big hit has been something we've struggled with in the past couple of weeks, but we got the job done tonight on a couple of big base knocks from Gage and Richie tonight. It's good to get back in the win column, and we'll see if we can't come back out tomorrow and win this series."

After falling behind, 2-0, on a pair of unearned runs off starting pitcher Kutter Crawford (Okeechobee, Fla./Indian River State/Okeechobee HS) in the bottom of the fourth, the Eagles responded with three runs in the top of fifth. Garcia drove in the first run of the game on a RBI single to center field before Lovell drew a bases-loaded walk to even things up and Morey hit a sacrifice fly to give the Green and Blue its first lead of the game.

NJIT answered back with two runs of its own in the home half of the frame, but FGCU was able to even things up again when Lovell drove in his second run of the game on a single to left field in the top of the seventh.

With the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the eighth inning, Hering relieved Sterling Koerner (Fort Pierce, Fla./John Carroll HS) and issued a bases-loaded walk that allowed NJIT to reclaim the lead. However, FGCU went on to tie the game in the aforementioned top of the ninth before turning in the go-ahead run in its next at-bat en route to earning the win.

Offensively, five of FGCU's nine starters recorded two or more hits, and the Eagles 13 hits in the contest were its most since scoring 13 runs on 14 hits against Rutgers on Mar. 18. Nick Rivera (Cape Coral, Fla./Bishop Verot HS) lead the way with his second three-hit game of the season, while Lovell matched his season-high with three RBI in the game.

UP NEXT
Game two of the three-game series against NJIT is scheduled for Saturday at 1 p.m. FGCU will send southpaw Josh Dye (6-3, 2.90) to the mound to face NJIT right hander Brett Lubreski (0-2, 4.80).

TICKETS
Single game tickets for the remainder of the 2017 FGCU baseball season are on 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 519-312-3 record (.622) 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.