FORT MYERS, Fla. – After a near-perfect performance last night, the FGCU softball team (4-0) turned in another impressive showing as
Riley Randolph and
Taylor Bauman combined to pitch a one-hitter Sunday afternoon on the final day of the FGCU Kickoff Classic, downing the Ball State Cardinals (3-2) 4-1.
"It was a great weekend; we won the tournament as the only undefeated team in the field," said head coach
David Deiros. "We won them in different facets – the last two days have been our pitching with two one-hitters in consecutive days. Just great performances from White and Randolph along with Bauman going 4-for-4 in saves this weekend. We're ready to go and look forward to facing USF this Wednesday."
FGCU wasted no time jumping on the board as
Racquel Fournet (Windermere, Fla./Windermere Preparatory School) blasted a first inning two-run homerun over the right field wall to give FGCU an early 2-0 margin.
Randolph (St. Petersburg, Fla./Northeast HS), in her 2018 debut displayed her dominance in the early stages, fanning six consecutive Cardinals at one point. The Eagles tacked on two more insurance runs after Ball State tallied their lone run in the fifth before
Bauman (Jacksonville, Fla./Atlantic Coast HS) came in and shut the door for her fourth save in as many games.
Facing one out in the first,
Ashley Swiderski (Naples, Fla./Barron Collier HS) stayed patient at the plate and reached on a walk. Soon after on a full count, Fournet brought the FGCU fans to their feet, launching her first home run of the year just inside the right field foul pole.
Over the next three frames, Randolph would strike out the side in the second, one in the third and fourth before giving up Ball State's first run on a homer in the top of the fifth. In the bottom of the inning, Swiderski laced a leadoff double before the Eagles loaded the bases two batters later. After
Brittany McGuire (Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla./Ponte Vedra HS) was hit by a pitch to bring in the third run,
LuLu Newmark (Pembroke Pines, Fla./American Heritage HS/Bowling Green) pushed across the fourth on a fielder's choice.
Randolph exited the circle going 5.2 innings with nine strikeouts and no walks in her season debut. Coach Deiros again called upon Bauman to deliver a four-out save and the freshman silenced the Cardinals en route to the 4-1 triumph and her fourth-consecutive save to open the year.
In total, the Green and Blue produced six hits on offense, led by Fournet with two along with a pair of RBI.
UP NEXT
FGCU will welcome USF to Fort Myers Wednesday for a doubleheader beginning at 4 p.m.
Complete Day Four Results
NC State 2, Memphis 1
Georgetown 8, LIU 3
FGCU 4, Ball State 1
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 .659 (577-298-3). 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.
