FORT MYERS, Fla. – Leading 6-2, defensive miscues and a six-run seventh proved costly in a 13-9 setback for the FGCU baseball team to Rutgers. The Eagles (13-4) scored six runs in the third only for the Scarlet Knights (10-6) to return the favor in the seventh after tying the game in sixth. FGCU loaded the bases in the ninth but could not chip away any further.
"When you have four errors, four bases on balls, and two hit by pitches, that's 10 freebies," said head coach
Dave Tollett. "That also extends pitchers pitches, so that puts pitch counts up there when they shouldn't have been. But we believe in winning the freebie-war. If you look, every one of our losses we've lost the freebie-game and tonight was one of those nights. But that's baseball, so we need to come back tomorrow. We have
Josh Dye on the hill and we'll need a good start to get us back."
A six-run third put FGCU in an early lead with
Mario Leon (Naples, Fla./Gulf Coast HS) on the mound. The senior had allowed just two runs to that point but errors in the fifth hurt the Green and Blue as Rutgers cut the lead to 6-5. After tying the game against the bullpen in the sixth, the visitors scored six runs in the seventh to grab a 12-6 lead. FGCU cut the deficit in half thanks to a bases-clearing double by
Gage Morey (West Palm Beach, Fla./PB Central HS), who ended the day with four RBI, and later loaded the bases in the ninth but could cut the deficit any further.
The Eagles threatened in each of the first two innings but stranded a pair in both while Leon had retired the first seven batters he faced. It was in the third however the Scarlet Knights pushed across the game's first runs, stringing together three singles and a fielder's choice to take a 2-0 lead.
FGCU responded in the bottom of the inning, plating six runs on seven hits. With one out,
Kohl Gilmore (Fort Pierce, Fla./John Carroll HS/Indian River State) started the rally with a double down the line that got away from a diving left fielder. After
Richie Garcia (Davie, Fla./West Broward HS) singled to put runners at second and third,
Jay Hayes (Altamonte Springs, Fla./Lyman HS) reached on an error that put runners at the corners and brought Gilmore in. An infield single then loaded the bases for
Eric Gonzalez (Miami, Fla./American Senior HS/ASA College) who continued to swing a hot bat, crushing the first pitch he saw to the fence in center, clearing the bases to give FGCU a 4-2 edge.
A
Jake Smith (Windermere, Fla./Windermere Prep) single scored Gonzalez two batters later before Morey rounded out the scoring with an RBI single to bring in
Eli Lovell (Lincoln, Neb./Lincoln Southwest HS/Kansas City Kansas Community College).
Following a scoreless fourth, Rutgers cut into the lead with a three-run fifth, helped by three FGCU errors. Leon exited in the sixth with runners at first and second, and
Parker Hamilton (Jupiter, Fla./Jupiter HS) limited the damage to just one to send the game into the seventh tied at 6-6.
It was in the seventh the Scarlet Knights scored six runs to make it 12-6, only for FGCU to respond with three in the bottom half.
Alex Brait (Viera, Fla./Viera HS) started the rally with a leadoff single, but two strikeouts, a single, and a walk later loaded the bases for Morey. The senior drove a 1-0 offering to right, clearing the bases to make it a 12-9 ballgame.
Rutgers tacked on one in the eighth, but FGCU remained within grand slam range as the game entered the bottom of the ninth. In the final frame, the Eagles made it interesting, loading the bases with nobody out but a strikeout and a double play ended the game.
Bryan Wilcox (Davie, Fla./West Broward HS) was hit with the loss, moving his record to 1-1. Leon worked 5.1, surrendering three earned runs on eight hits while striking out four.
Eight of the nine batters in the lineup finished with two hits, led by Lovell's three and Morey's four RBI.
UP NEXT
FGCU aims to even the series tomorrow at 2 p.m.
FOLLOW ALONG
For constant, news, photos, videos and updates you can follow the baseball team on Twitter @FGCU_Baseball, Instagram @FGCU_Baseball or on Facebook: Facebook.com/FGCUBaseball. You can also find FGCU athletics on YouTube by visiting YouTube.com/FGCUEagles.
DAVE TOLLETT
In his 16th season, FGCU head coach
Dave Tollett has compiled a 546-320-3 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.
