FORT MYERS, Fla. – A six-run fourth inning gave the FGCU baseball team more than enough behind a combined shutout from the pitching staff. The Eagles (11-2) opened their weekend series with Evansville (5-6) with a 10-0 victory Friday night.

"We got a good performance out of Mario (Leon), who wasn't feeling his best but gave everything he had tonight," said head coach Dave Tollett. "It was our first shutout of the year so as the pitching coach and as the head coach I'm very happy. We got some big hits and put the game away early on a big night for (Richie) Garcia and (Eric) Gonzalez. This club can really swing the bat."

After making his first start against Florida A&M Wednesday, Eric Gonzalez (Miami, Fla./American Senior HS/ASA College) drove in three more runs in Friday's victory to run his season total to seven RBI in nine at-bats. Gonzalez's efforts were part of another strong offensive performance helped along by three RBI from Richie Garcia (Davie, Fla./West Broward HS). After scoring a run in the first, Gonzalez went to the opposite field for his third home run in two games to give the Eagles a 3-0 lead after two innings. Mario Leon (Naples, Fla./Gulf Coast HS) kept the Purple Aces off the board through his six innings of work, allowing the Eagles to break the game open in the fourth with a six-run inning. FGCU tacked on another in the eighth to complete the 10-0 win.

Leon worked around a leadoff single to give FGCU a chance to grab the lead in the first frame. After Marc Coffers (Naples, Fla./Barron Collier HS) led off the first with a double down the right field line, Kohl Gilmore (Fort Pierce, Fla./John Carroll HS/Indian River State) brought him in for his team-leading 21st RBI of the season to put the Green and Blue in front.

After another scoreless inning from Leon, Gonzalez drove an 0-1 pitch over the right center field fence to score himself and Alex Brait ( Viera, Fla./Viera HS) to put the Eagles in front 3-0.

Neither side scored in the third but the Green and Blue broke the game open in the fourth. Jay Hayes (Altamonte Springs, Fla./Lyman HS) started the rally, reaching on a hit by pitch before motoring to third on a failed pickoff throw by the catcher. After Brait was also hit by a pitch, Gonzalez drove in Hayes on a sacrifice fly to center. Christian Proffitt (Cape Coral, Fla./Ida Baker HS) then singled to right to put runners at the corners and Gage Morey (West Palm Beach, Fla./PB Central HS) reached on an infield single to bring home Brait.

Evansville then went to the bullpen, walking Gilmore to load the bases for Garcia who doubled to right center, scoring both Proffitt and Morey. Three pitches later, Eli Lovell (Lincoln, Neb./Lincoln Southwest HS/Kansas City Kansas Community College) hit a high chopper to second that the senior beat out allowing not only Gilmore to come home, but also Garcia.

Leon's day came to an end after 6.0 innings, giving way to Sebastian Gruszecki (Dudley, Mass./Shepherd Hill Regional HS) who worked the final 3.0 innings. The right-hander allowed just one hit during that time to earn a three-inning save. 

FGCU plated one more run in the eighth on another Garcia double to complete the 10-0 victory.

Leon (2-1) tossed 6.0 gritty innings, walking two while striking out three. Morey and Garcia finished with multiple hits while Garcia and Gonzalez each drove in three.

UP NEXT
FGCU can claim the series tomorrow against Evansville. The Eagles and Purple Aces will play at 12 p.m. instead of the originally scheduled time of 2 p.m. because of weather concerns. In addition, Sunday's finale has been moved from 11 a.m. to 10:30 a.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 544-318-3 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.