FORT MYERS, Fla. – On a day commemorating the careers of five graduating seniors the FGCU softball team dropped a 5-0 decision to USC Upstate. The Eagles (21-19, 3-6 ASUN) and Spartans (33-9, 6-3) were deadlocked through three innings until a three-run home run broke the game open.

Seniors Evita Leter (Paramaribo, Suriname/Doral Academy), Amber Plaza (Fort Myers, Fla./Bishop Verot HS/Miami Dade College), Bree Tourtillott (Dixon, Ill./Oregon HS/Tallahassee Community College), Jeanie Verderese (Jacksonville, Fla./Creekside HS) and Taylor Wade (Pace, Fla./Pace HS) were honored prior to the contest.

"It was rolling along as pitcher's duel until they put three consecutive hits together and put us behind," said head coach David Deiros. "We couldn't do anything to put pressure on them and when we did they made some nice plays to get out of it. Congratulations to them and we're back to the drawing board."

The three-run home run broke open an otherwise even contest featuring two of the top pitchers on the ASUN. Riley Randolph (St. Petersburg, Fla./Northeast HS) was perfect through three innings, and would go on to allow four runs on six hits over 6.0 innings of work. FGCU totaled three hits in the ballgame, threatening twice.

The Green and Blue put the pressure on Lexi Shubert in the first on a leadoff single from Kelsey Huff (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla./Dwyer HS) and an intentional walk to put Racquel Fournet (Windermere, Fla./Windermere Preparatory School) on with one out in the inning but a pair of ground outs ended the inning to keep the game scoreless.

Randolph allowed her first hit in the fourth with one out in the inning and the Spartans tacked on two more, capped by the three-run homer to left by Abbie Millete.  

Huff picked up FGCU's second basehit of the afternoon in the sixth with the Eagles trailing 4-0, and following a Natalie Lopez (Miami, Fla./Westminster Christian HS) walk, the Eagles were in business once again. With one out in the inning, a fly out and a line out ended the frame with both runners remaining on the bases.

Upstate tacked on its final run of the game against Wade in the seventh and the Spartans closed out the ballgame.

UP NEXT
FGCU remains at home and welcomes FAU Wednesday for a doubleheader scheduled for a 5 p.m. first pitch.

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 (563-286-3). 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.