FORT MYERS, Fla. – The FGCU softball team was on the right side of an emotionally charged matchup Friday evening, claiming a 7-2 victory over the NC State Wolfpack on the second day of the FGCU Kickoff Classic. The Eagles' (2-0) victory late in the night over the Wolfpack (1-1) capped the first full day of games during the season-opening tournament.
"It was a big team win for our players, really a total team effort," said head coach
David Deiros. "We used a lot of players like we did yesterday and that's what we're going to have to do. The role may change from day-to-day, but they have to be ready to go ahead and go. Great job by
Marissa Mesiemore in her start and
Taylor Bauman coming in for the second night in a row to pick up the save opportunity. Also, a huge night for
Ashley Swiderski coming in clutch in a couple of key RBI situations, so all in all a big team win for us tonight."
Neither ball club scratched a run across the board until FGCU produced a three-run bottom half of the third to take the lead. NC State clawed back, bringing the deficit down to 4-2, but the Eagles pulled away thanks in part to
Farley Callaghan (Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla./Ponte Vedra HS) launching a home run in her first at bat.
The action for the Green and Blue began in the third after a single and steal from
Kelsey Huff (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla./Dwyer HS) put her on at second.
Natalie Lopez (Miami, Fla./Westminster Christian HS) followed with a single before a walk from
Brooke Clemens (West Rotunda, Fla./Florida/Lemon Bay HS) loaded the bags. With
Brittany McGuire (Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla./Ponte Vedra HS) up, the senior looked to repeat her two-RBI performance from Thursday night and did just that with a base hit to left field scoring both Huff and Lopez.
Ashley Swiderski (Naples, Fla./Barron Collier HS) then
tacked on the last run, lacing an RBI single up the middle to make it a 3-0 FGCU margin.
The Wolfpack plated one run in the top of the fourth before the Eagles pushed across a run with some key hitting in the fifth. Facing two outs and a runner on first, Swiderski roped a triple to right center to score the speedy pinch-runner
Ahnie Jumper (Clewiston, Fla./Plantation American Heritage), who had come on for McGuire
.
After keeping the Wolfpack at bay throughout the majority of the contest,
Marissa Mesiemore (Bushnell, Fla./South Sumter HS) was pulled after 5.1 frames following another stellar outing. The freshman scattered six hits on two runs (one earned) while fanning four batters en route to her second win in as many games to begin her FGCU career.
Facing a 4-2 ball game in the sixth,
Taylor Bauman (Jacksonville, Fla./Atlantic Coast HS) came on in relief of Mesiemore and helped the Eagles escape a bases-loaded jam, setting up a three-run inning for the home side shortly after. The inning, capped by Callaghan's home run, put the game out of reach as Bauman closed the door on her second save of the season. Bauman finished the day with two strikeouts over the final 1.2 innings of work, giving up a pair of hits in that time as well.
McGuire led the Eagles with three hits while both Swiderski and Huff tallied a pair. McGuire and Swiderski also led FGCU at the plate with two RBI each.
FGCU continues play at the Kickoff Classic Saturday at 4:45 against Georgetown.
Complete Day Two Results
Memphis 8, Georgetown 3
Memphis 5, Ball State 1
NC State 12, Georgetown 2 (5 innings)
Ball State 10, LIU-Brooklyn 2 (5 innings)
FGCU 7, NC State 2
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 16th season as head coach. Hired in 2001 to build the program from the dirt up, Deiros has since guided the Eagles to 12 seasons with a winning record, eight campaigns with 35 wins and a win percentage of .669 (575-298-3). 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.
