NASHVILLE, Tenn. – A three-hour rain delay could not dampen the spirits nor the performance of the FGCU softball team Friday evening, as the Eagles received two strong outings in the circle and some timely hitting to book a ticket into the ASUN Championship game for the second-straight season. The No. 4 Eagles (30-29) defeated No. 5 Lipscomb (36-20) 3-1 to begin the day before ending the day with a 1-0 victory over No. 2 Kennesaw State (36-18).

The Eagles will now face the top-seeded Spartans of USC Upstate tomorrow at 1 p.m. local time, needing two wins to earn the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

"The games were tight, we had the tying run at third base with two outs but the kids played great," said head coach David Deiros. "They made great plays when they needed to and we had a couple of timely hits. The thing I was most proud of in game one was when Lipscomb came out with three solid hits and kind of punched us in the mouth we came back and countered with three runs of our own to set the tone. In the second game, it came down to who had the last good swing at it. After the leadoff base hit the inning set up exactly how I wanted it to. I wanted them to try to beat Riley but that doesn't take away from the masterful performance by Taylor today."

A three-hour and 23-minute rain delay potentially ended any momentum FGCU had after loading the bases in the bottom of the first with one out. When the rain finally ended the play restarted, FGCU waited until the second to score. Racquel Fournet (Windermere, Fla./Windermere Preparatory School) delivered the big blow in the inning, an opposite-field two-run double to put FGCU in front 3-1. Riley Randolph (St. Petersburg, Fla./Northeast HS) did the rest, picking up her third win over the Bisons in a week and the team's fourth win over Lipscomb.

It was a close contest the entire way to end the day as neither side could manufacture a run until the sixth inning when Bri Innamorato (Mullica Hill, N.J./Bishop Eustace HS) singled in Fournet after the sophomore reached on a two-out double. Taylor Wade (Pace, Fla./Pace HS) controlled the Kennesaw State lineup, scattering six hits over 6.1 innings to send the Eagles into the championship game.

GAME ONE: No. 4 FGCU 3, No. 5 Lipscomb 1
Facing the Bisons for the fifth time in a week, the Eagles looked to jump on tournament hosts early. FGCU loaded the bases with only one out, but with a 1-1 count on Brittany McGuire (Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla./Ponte Vedra HS), rain began to fall heavily and the umpires put a halt to the contest. The delay lasted nearly three and half hours and when play resumed, Lipscomb kept FGCU scoreless for the time being.

Heading into the contest, Randolph had kept the Bisons scoreless for 12.1 innings and ran it to 14 innings before the Bisons finally broke through. Three-straight singles with two outs in the inning briefly put Lipscomb in front but FGCU got the run right back.

Morgan Sutherland (Naples, Fla./Barron Collier HS) led off the bottom of the second with a double to left, avoiding a diving Lipscomb fielder. After a Jeanie Verderese (Jacksonville, Fla./Creekside HS) sacrifice bunt, Natalie Lopez (Miami, Fla./Westminster Christian HS) laid down a perfect bunt to not only score Sutherland but to also reach safely.

With momentum back on their side, Kelsey Huff (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla./Dwyer HS) reached on an error, sending Fournet to the plate with runners at first and second and two outs. The sophomore drove the first pitch she saw to the opposite field, bringing both Lopez and Huff home to put the Green and Blue in front 3-1.

Randolph (18-10) would not need any more insurance as the left-hander shut down the Bisons, allowing just two baserunners the rest of the way. The sophomore struck out six batters over seven innings for her third win over the Bisons. This season, Randolph went 3-0 against Lipscomb, allowing just three earned over 23 innings with 22 strikeouts against two walks.

GAME TWO: No. 4 FGCU 1, No. 2 Kennesaw State 0
Jumping right into another elimination game the Eagles nearly took the lead in the first against the second-seeded Owls. FGCU put two runners on with one out in the form Huff and Fournet, but a play at the plate on a shallow fly ball resulted in a double play to end the inning.

Kennesaw State also had a chance to score in its half of the first following a leadoff single, but Wade forced a ground out to end the inning.

Wade was in control the entire game, scattering five hits, none for extra bases while walking two. The senior's performance allowed FGCU to produce a two-out rally in the sixth that resulted in the game's only run.

After two quick outs, Fournet hit a double off the left-center wall to extend the inning for LuLu Newmark (Pembroke Pines, Fla./American Heritage HS/Bowling Green). The junior pulled the ball through the hole on the left side of the infield to put runners at the corners for Innamorato, who found the same hole and drove in Fournet.

Wade (10-14) allowed a leadoff single and a sacrifice bunt in the seventh, prompting Randolph to enter the contest. The lefty picked up her second save of the season, recording the final two outs. 
 
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 (573-297-3). 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.