DELAND, Fla. – A five-run seventh inning in the opener provided the FGCU softball team with a crucial win over Stetson Saturday afternoon. The Eagles (23-27, 5-8 ASUN) and Hatters (26-17, 4-10) split the series-opening doubleheader, with the rubber match set for Sunday at 1 p.m.

"It was a good day for us to pull out one of the two wins," said head coach David Deiros. "It looked really bleak for us in the opener but we were able to come back. Riley pitched a gem and our defense made some nice plays late to preserve the win. We could have stopped the bleeding in game two but our kids fought back and we still had the tying run at the plate in the seventh. We've been putting ourselves behind the eight-ball but we continue to fight back to give ourselves a chance."

LuLu Newmark's (Pembroke Pines, Fla./American Heritage HS/Bowling Green) three-run home run to right-center capped a dramatic come-from-behind win for FGCU. Trailing 1-0 heading into the seventh, the Eagles scored five runs capped by Newmark's homer to turn the deficit into a 5-1 lead. Riley Randolph (St. Petersburg, Fla./Northeast HS) conceded one run on five hits for her 13th win of the season.

FGCU was limited to three hits in the second game allowing the Hatters to even up the series. Taylor Wade (Pace, Fla./Pace HS) kept FGCU in the game, allowing three runs on six hits but a pair of singles in the seventh was not enough to spark a second-straight comeback.

GAME ONE: FGCU 5, Stetson 1
FGCU collected the game's only three hits through the first three innings on a pair of two-out singles in the second and a lead-off single in the third but none would turn into runs for the Green and Blue.

After keeping the Hatters hitless through three, Randolph conceded a lead-off double in the fourth which turned into the game's first run after two successful bunts.

The bats came alive in a big way in the seventh inning, beginning with a Bree Tourtillott (Dixon, Ill./Oregon HS/Tallahassee Community College) walk to start the rally. After Morgan Sutherland (Naples, Fla./Barron Collier HS) singled to put runners at second and third, Natalie Lopez (Miami, Fla./Westminster Christian HS) advanced both with a sacrifice bunt. The Hatters elected to walk Kelsey Huff (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla./Dwyer HS), bringing Jeanie Verderese (Jacksonville, Fla./Creekside HS) to the plate with the bases loaded. The senior came through, tying the game on a sacrifice fly, which Racquel Fournet (Windermere, Fla./Windermere Preparatory School) followed with a single up the middle to put FGCU in front 2-1.

The big blow came when Newmark turned on the first pitch she saw, sending it over the wall in right-center to give FGCU a 5-1 cushion. The home run was Newmark's second in as many games.

Randolph closed the door on the Hatters, striking out four in seven innings of work.

GAME TWO: Stetson 3, FGCU 0
It was another tight contest as the two teams combined for three runs on nine hits.

Stetson took an early advantage in the second, scoring twice on three hits and the Hatters tacked on another with a single run in the third.

Wade limited the damage, keeping FGCU in the game setting up nearly another late-inning rally. With two outs, Bri Innamorato (Mullica Hill, N.J./Bishop Eustace HS) and Brittany McGuire (Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla./Ponte Vedra HS) put runners at first and second but a fly out ended the threat and the ballgame.

UP NEXT
The Eagles and Hatters play for the series win tomorrow at 1 p.m. in DeLand.

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 (567-295-3). 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.