DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The FGCU baseball team was on the wrong side of a pitcher's duel Friday night in Daytona as the Eagles fell 3-1 to Bethune-Cookman in the first game of a three-game set. Senior right-hander Mario Leon delivered his best performance of the year with eight strikeouts against only one walk over six innings, but the Eagles (6-2) were kept at bay offensively by the Wildcats (4-7).

"It was a classic Division I baseball game," said head coach Dave Tollett. "This game was two Friday night arms going at each other, we just fell a little short offensively tonight."

A Kohl Gilmore (Fort Pierce, Fla./John Carroll HS/Indian River State) RBI single in the first gave Leon (Naples, Fla./Gulf Coast HS) and FGCU an early lead. The Eagles had chances to tack on more early, but both pitchers kept the opposition in check throughout the contest. The home side broke through in the fifth on a two-run home run, which proved to be the difference in the series-opener as the Eagles fell 3-1.

The first three batters reached to lead off the ballgame and put the Green and Blue in front. After Marc Coffers (Naples, Fla./Barron Collier HS) walked and Gage Morey (West Palm Beach, Fla./PB Central HS) singled, Gilmore produced his 12th RBI of the season with a knock through the right side to bring around Coffers. FGCU, however, would leave the maximum when the inning ended.

Bethune-Cookman tried to return the favor with a lead-off but Leon shut down the Wildcats with two of his season-high eight strikeouts to conclude the opening frame.

Two more singles for the Green and Blue in the second put the visitors in business once again, only for a fly out and a strikeout to end the inning with both Jake Smith (Windermere, Fla./Windermere Prep) and Coffers on base.

From there, both offenses were limited to just two hits until the B-CU fifth. With two outs, a single extended the inning long enough for the hosts to strike on a two-run home run to put Bethune-Cookman ahead 2-1. They would plate a third run in the sixth on a sacrifice fly to push the lead to 3-1.

Both bullpens picked up where the starters left off as Justin Gill (Winter Haven, Fla./Lake Region HS/Polk State) allowed just one hit in his two innings of work. For the Eagles offensively, they too could not muster a rally against the Bethune-Cookman bullpen as the Green and Blue lost a classic pitcher's duel 3-1.

FGCU finished with six hits, none for extra bases. Leon (1-1) allowed a season-best one walk but was hit with the loss. Gill meanwhile fanned one in his 2.0 innings.

The Eagles look to even the series tomorrow at 1 p.m.

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DAVE TOLLETT
In his 16th season, FGCU head coach Dave Tollett has compiled a 539-318-3 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.