FORT MYERS, Fla. – Trailing 10-6 heading into the bottom of the ninth, the FGCU baseball team scored twice but left the bases loaded, falling 10-8 at the hands of former ASUN foe ETSU. The Eagles (4-1) led 6-4 heading into the eighth but six runs over the final two innings put the Bucs (3-1) in front before the Eagles threatened again in the ninth.

"You live by the sword you die by the sword," said head coach Dave Tollett. "We've been rolling the dice with these games. I felt like we had the game won at 6-4 and we should have put it away. There were a couple crazy plays I haven't seen in a long time but we still had a chance to win it or at least tie it. We put the tying run at the plate, then the winning run on base; the magic just ran out tonight on us. These guys, as long as there are outs left on the board, they feel like they still have a chance. These guys don't quit."

A back-and-forth affair early, FGCU had leads of 2-0 and 5-4 thanks to a pair of home runs off the bat of Kohl Gilmore (Fort Pierce, Fla./John Carroll HS/Indian River State) in the first four innings. With Mario Leon (Naples, Fla./Gulf Coast HS) on the mound, FGCU looked set for its fifth-straight win to start the season but ETSU scored six runs over the final two innings to lead 10-6 heading into the bottom half of the ninth. The Eagles would not go quietly, loading the bases with one out, scoring twice before the Bucs recorded the final two outs.

Leon fanned two batters in the opening frame, sending FGCU to the plate with the chance to take an early lead. Gage Morey (West Palm Beach, Fla./PB Central HS) reached on a one-out single, bringing Gilmore up. The redshirt-sophomore took an 0-2 pitch and drove it the other way for his third home run of the season, putting FGCU in front 2-0.

After ETSU scored three runs in the second and tacked on another in the third, the Eagles used the long ball to go back in front. Marc Coffers (Naples, Fla./Barron Collier HS) led off the inning and hit the first pitch he saw over the fence in left before Gilmore, with Morey on first, crushed his second home run to the opposite field to make it a 5-4 ballgame.

Morey was up again in the fourth with runners at the corners and placed a perfect bunt down the first base line to not only score Jake Smith (Windermere, Fla./Windermere Prep) but also reach himself.

FGCU stranded two in the fourth before both bullpens went to work, allowing just three hits until the eighth when the Bucs tied the game behind a pair of runs on three hits and an error.

A disastrous ninth then pushed four runs across the plate for the visitors, who took what seemed to be a comfortable lead into the bottom half of the inning.

Swanson magic nearly struck again as the Eagles loaded the bases with only one away for Jay Hayes (Altamonte Springs, Fla./Lyman HS), who walked drew a full-count walk to bring in the first run. Smith also walked, bringing in the second run and putting the tying run in scoring position, still with only one away. But two strikeouts ended the rally, giving FGCU its first loss of the season.

Leon finished with a no-decision after working 6.0 innings, scattering six hits and striking out seven while conceding four runs. Justin Gill (Winter Haven, Fla./Lake Region HS/Polk State) worked 1.2 innings, striking out two and allowing one earned run.

Kenton Hering (Melbourne, Fla./Viera HS/Eastern Florida State College) took the loss (2-1), working 0.1 inning, allowing four earned. Parker Hamilton (Jupiter, Fla./Jupiter HS) tossed the final inning for FGCU.

Offensively, Gilmore finished with four RBI on two hits while also walking twice. Coffers went 4-for-6 from the leadoff spot while Morey, Eli Lovell (Lincoln, Neb./Lincoln Southwest HS/Kansas City Kansas Community College), and Alex Brait (Viera, Fla./Viera HS) all finished with two hits.

The series continues tomorrow as FGCU looks to even the three-game set against ETSU. Game two is slated for a 2 p.m. first pitch Saturday.

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DAVE TOLLETT
In his 16th season, FGCU head coach Dave Tollett has compiled a 537-317-3 record (.626) as the only head coach in the program's history and is coming off the program's first trip to the NCAA Tournament. He is a four-time ASUN Coach of the Year and has guided the Green and Blue to four ASUN Regular Season Championships and one ASUN Tournament Championship. His team has been ranked nationally on several occasions, including as high as #9 in the country in 2017, and has coached 49 All-Conference selections, 29 draft picks, three current major leaguers, 15 current minor leaguers, four ASUN Pitchers of the Year, four All-Americans, three ASUN Players of the Year, one National Freshman Player of the Year, one National Player of the Year and one five-time MLB All-Star.
 
#FEEDFGCU
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.