NEWARK, N.J. – Coming off a dramatic extra-inning win less than 24 hours ago, FGCU (30-16, 6-8 ASUN) jumped out to an early lead and cruised to a 20-1 victory behind a program-record seven home runs against NJIT (4-33, 0-14 ASUN) Saturday afternoon at Bears & Eagles Riverfront Stadium.

The Eagles' seven home runs in Saturday's series-clinching win surpassed the previous program record of six long balls turned in at ETSU on May 1, 2009. Richie Garcia (Davie, Fla./West Broward HS) and Eli Lovell (Lincoln, Neb./Kansas City Kansas CC/Lincoln Southwest HS) hit a pair of home runs apiece, marking the fourth time in the program's 15-year history two players have hit multiple home runs in the same game. FGCU's 35 home runs through 46 games this season registers as the most since the Eagles hit 54 long balls in 2010 – the last season played with BESR bats.

FGCU's 19-run margin of victory is its biggest in Division I program history, while the team's 20 runs and 21 hits were both season highs. The 21 hits are the most since also registering the same total at USC Upstate on May 8 of last season, and the Eagles' 20 runs are the most since scoring 22 runs at Northern Kentucky on May 4, 2014. Additionally, after also tallying 13 hits in last night's win, today's game marked the first time this month that the Green and Blue has turned in double digit hits in back-to-back games.

Behind its program record seven home runs to go along with four doubles, FGCU also set the Division I program record with 46 total bases in the game. The total came up just one base shy of the all-time record turned in against Saint Rose College on Mar. 22, 2005.

"It was nice to see it all kind of come together today," said FGCU head coach Dave Tollett. "Setting the program record with seven home runs is icing on the cake, but I was more impressed with our two-out approach at the plate and what we did to extend certain innings. Josh (Dye) turned in a quality outing on the mound with command of his pitches all afternoon, and we were able to get some more of our bullpens arms some action today. We need to take this momentum and keep it going in tomorrow's finale and throughout the rest of the season."

FGCU scored in all nine innings Saturday afternoon, and 16 of the Eagles' 20 runs were scored with two outs. Additionally, all nine Eagles in the starting lineup recorded a hit, while seven turned in two or more hits and six drove in two or more runs.

FGCU wasted no time in getting on the scoreboard as Alex Brait (Viera, Fla./Viera HS) followed a one-out double from Matt Reardon (Palm City, Fla./Martin County HS) with a two-out RBI single to right field to put the Green and Blue on the scoreboard in the opening frame.

Back-to-back RBI doubles from Julio Gonzalez (Bayamon, Puerto Rico/Seminole State College (OK)/Brito Miami Private HS) and Reardon extended the lead to 3-0 in the top of the second, before Marc Coffers (Naples, Fla./Barron Collier HS) hit his first collegiate home run – a two-run shot to left field – and Gonzalez followed two batters later with a solo bomb to right to make it a 6-0 ballgame in the top of the third.

NJIT leadoff man Evan Pietronico hit a leadoff home run to get the Highlanders on the scoreboard in the home half of the third, but FGCU got the run right back as Garcia hit a two-out solo homer in the next frame.

After Reardon hit a sacrifice fly to center field to extend the lead to 8-1 in the top of the fifth, the barrage of long balls continued as Lovell hit a two-run bomb to left-center field in the same inning.

Garcia hit his second and the Eagles' fifth home run of the game to start off the sixth, and Lovell matched the program record with his second long ball of the game with two outs in the seventh to push the lead to 12-1.

After RBI singles from Reardon and Nick Rivera (Cape Coral, Fla./Bishop Verot HS) made it a 14-1 ballgame in the top of the eight, Rivera came back around in the final frame and put the finishing touches on the blowout win with a grand slam to left field. It was Rivera's team-best 11th home run of the season and 37th of his FGCU career – moving him four away from matching the career record held by Zach Maxfield (41).

Each of the Eagles' first four hitters in Gonzalez, Reardon, Rivera and Lovell recorded two or more hits and drove in three or more runs. Gonzalez turned in his second four-hit game of the season, while Rivera drove in a game-high five runs and pushed his career total in the category to 197. FGCU's six through eight hitters in Garcia, Gage Morey (West Palm Beach, Fla./PB Central HS) and Coffers also turned in two or more hits, while Garcia and Coffers drove in a pair of runs via the aforementioned long balls.

On the mound, southpaw Josh Dye (7-3, 2.78) tossed 6.0 innings and allowed the one blemish on Pietronico's solo home run. Dye (DeLand, Fla./DeLand HS) struck out seven batters and came up one shy of his career high recorded earlier this season against Rutgers. A quartet of bullpen arms polished off the final 3.0 innings while allowing only two hits.

UP NEXT
The series finale between the Eagles and Highlanders is scheduled for Sunday at 11 a.m. FGCU will send senior right hander Garrett Anderson (3-1, 3.44) to the mound to square off with NJIT right hander Tyler Stafflinger (1-4, 4.13).

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 520-312-3 record (.623) 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.