FORT MYERS, Fla. – An impressive showing by the FGCU bullpen and two timely home runs propelled the Eagles (18-5) past UMBC in comeback fashion Sunday. The 6-3 victory, highlighted by 9.0 complete innings of work from the bullpen and a go-ahead two-run homer off the bat of Richie Garcia, completed the three-game sweep over the Retrievers (5-13).

"To take four-in-a-row during the week is incredible," said head coach Dave Tollett. "I thought our bullpen was outstanding for the first time this season. To not give up a run for eight innings, I'm really happy for them. Richie (Garcia) and Spencer (Levine) had big hits today for us. Our pitching held us in there and those were huge hits. And Kenton (Hering), we saw the Kenton of old."

An early error helped the visitors jump out to a 3-0 lead but the best bullpen performance of the season, including five strikeouts over 2.0 innings from Kenton Hering (Melbourne, Fla./Viera HS/Eastern Florida State College) kept the Eagles within striking distance. Single runs in the fourth and sixth set up Garcia's (Davie, Fla./West Broward HS) two-run homer to right in the seventh that put FGCU in front 4-3 and Spencer Levine's (Miami, Fla./Miami Killian Senior HS/Seminole State College) two-run blast in the eighth to cap the come-from-behind win.

UMBC took advantage of a walk and an error in the first, scoring three runs in the top half and forcing FGCU to go to its bullpen before with no outs on the board. Sebastian Gruszecki (Dudley, Mass./Shepherd Hill Regional HS) got the Eagles out of the inning trailing only 3-0 and it would be the only runs FGCU conceded on the day.

The Green and Blue stranded eight runners on the afternoon, two of those coming in the second when both Garcia and Jay Hayes (Altamonte Springs, Fla./Lyman HS) reached to lead off the inning before the home side scratched across a run in the fourth.

Still trailing 3-0, Kohl Gilmore (Fort Pierce, Fla./John Carroll HS/Indian River State) connected on a 1-0 pitch and drove it to the gap in left-center for a leadoff double and came around to score on a Jay Hayes (Altamonte Springs, Fla./Lyman HS) single to left to make it 3-1.

Gruszecki gave way to Evan Lumbert (Orlando, Fla./Boone HS/South Florida State) in the top of the fourth and the junior picked up where the right-hander left off. Lumbert matched Gruszecki's 3.0 innings of scoreless baseball and the duo combined for seven strikeouts during that time to keep FGCU in the contest.

The Eagles were in great position to tie the game or take the lead in the fifth, loading the bases with just one out but a strikeout and a fly out left the maximum and sent the game into the sixth with the visitors leading 3-1.

Eric Gonzalez (Miami, Fla./American Senior HS/ASA College) extended his hitting streak to 11 games with a one-out single in the sixth before he came around to score on Levine's double to straight-away center, making it a 3-2 game.

Another zero on the board from the bullpen brought FGCU back to the plate and the Eagles capitalized. Gage Morey (West Palm Beach, Fla./PB Central HS) just missed his first home run of the season, hitting a 1-1 offering half-way up the fence in right and two batters later, Garcia drove an 0-1 pitch to the opposite field for his third home run of the season.

Hering then entered in the eighth and proceeded to strike out five over 2.0 innings, securing his third save of the season.

The Eagles' bats, however, were not finished courtesy of a no-doubter off the bat of Levine in the bottom of the eighth with Gonzalez along for the ride.

Peyton Gray (Columbus, Ind./Columbus East HS/Gulf Coast State College) evened up his record at 1-1 with the win. Gray worked 0.2 of an inning, allowing one hit in that time. In total, the FGCU bullpen allowed seven hits, struck out 12, and walked one over 9.0 innings of work.

UP NEXT
The Eagles remain at home and host Miami Wednesday night at 6:30 p.m.
 
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DAVE TOLLETT
In his 16th season, FGCU head coach Dave Tollett has compiled a 551-321-3 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.