NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The FGCU softball team attempted to do something no team in ASUN history had done before, win six games in four days in the ASUN Tournament. After hanging with the top-seeded USC Upstate Spartans (44-11) through four innings, a six-run fifth put an end to FGCU's (30-30) Cinderella run as the Eagles fell 8-0 in the championship game.

"It was a great effort all weekend long," said head coach David Deiros. "We knocked out three teams from the tournament, we just ran into a buzzsaw and in some cases, we couldn't get out of our way. They put a lot of pressure on us and we didn't do the things we wanted to do at that time. Congratulations to Upstate on a well-played tournament and congratulations to our kids for executing what we wanted to this week. We'll be back around next year."

FGCU had a pair of chances to either take the lead in the first or cut into a 2-0 deficit, but the Green and Blue left five runners on including a pair in the first. The Spartans later scored two unearned runs in the second before clinching the win with a six-run fifth.

The Eagles immediately put the Spartans under pressure, putting runners at first and second with just one out to open the contest, but a strikeout and a groundout ended the threat with two runners in scoring position.

After stranding a runner in the first, USC Upstate took advantage of an error in the second to plate a pair of unearned runs.

Pitching was the theme for the next two innings as the only baserunner for either team was Natalie Lopez (Miami, Fla./Westminster Christian HS) who reached on a walk.

Trailing 2-0, the Green and Blue again put USC Upstate under pressure in the fifth after Morgan Sutherland (Naples, Fla./Barron Collier HS) and Kelsey Huff (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla./Dwyer HS) both reached on singles. The Eagles, however, were unable to scratch across their first run of the game as a strikeout ended the inning.

The Spartans broke the game open with a bases-clearing triple in the fifth and later added three more runs to complete the run-rule win.

Riley Randolph (St. Petersburg, Fla./Northeast HS) suffered the loss, tossing four innings while allowing no earned runs on two hits. Taylor Wade (Pace, Fla./Pace HS) pitched the decisive fifth, allowing six runs.

2017 All-Tournament Team
Ansley Gilstrap, USC Upstate - MVP
Lexi Shubert, USC Upstate
Holly McKinnon, USC Upstate
Kayla Hussey, USC Upstate
Jeanie Verderese, FGCU
LuLu Newmark, FGCU
Bree Tourtillott, FGCU
Riley Randolph, FGCU
Jessie Mullen, Kennesaw State
Navia Penrod, North Florida
Mandy Jordan, Lipscomb

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 (573-298-3). 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.