FORT MYERS, Fla. – The FGCU softball team (28-11, 3-3 ASUN) fell twice against in-state foe FIU (20-20, 4-5 C-USA) as the Eagles suffered a 5-2 loss in game one, followed by a 7-0 defeat in the final game of the evening.

"Very lackluster effort in all phases by our team tonight," said head coach David Deiros. "We need to learn from it and move on to next week's games."

In game one, FIU led 4-0 after four innings, as the only runs from the Eagles would come off the bat of Taylor Bauman (Jacksonville, Fla./Atlantic Coast HS). In only her third at-bat of the season, she drilled a home run to dead center for her first collegiate hit in the fifth and repeated it with another homer in the seventh. In game two the Green and Blue's bats were stifled as FGCU registered just one hit in the 7-0 loss.

GAME ONE: FGCU 2, FIU 5
In the second and fourth innings, the Panthers scored using a bases-load walk on both occasions to take a 2-0 lead. Staying in the fourth after the walk, FIU plated two more runners across home off an RBI single from Venessa Gallegos.

With one batter away in the fifth, Bauman broke up FIU's Megan Kugelmann no-hit bid launching her first collegiate hit out of the yard to dead-away center to cut the deficit down to 4-1.

After FIU scored one run in its top of the seventh, Bauman drove the second pitch she saw facing two outs to the opposite field in right, finishing 2-for-2 at the plate, with two home runs.

GAME TWO: FGCU 0, FIU 7
Scoreless after two frames, the visitors struck first in the third to take a 1-0 lead with a bases-loaded single to center. Looking for the Eagle's first hit, it finally came in the bottom of the fourth as Kate Kelly (Cape Coral, Fla./North Ft. Myers/Seminole State) connected on an infield single.

The rest of the way, FIU capped off the game posting crooked numbers from the fourth inning all the way to the sixth.

In the losing effort, Riley Randolph (St. Petersburg, Fla./Northeast HS) scattered eight hits while striking out eight batters – the second time this season she has achieved eight strikeouts.

UP NEXT
FGCU is off until Wednesday, April 11 when the Eagles travel to Boca Raton, Fla., to face FAU (20-18, 8-4 C-USA) in a doubleheader set to begin at 5 p.m. The Owls who were picked to finish third in the conference, currently stand atop the C-USA standings.

FOLLOW ALONG
For up-to-the minute information on the FGCU softball program, follow on Twitter @FGCU_Softball and Instagram at fgcusoftball and stay tuned at FGCUAthletics.com.

COACH DEIROS
The founding father of FGCU softball, David Deiros is in his 16th season as head coach. Hired in 2001 to build the program from the dirt up, Deiros has since guided the Eagles to a 601-309-3 (.665) overall mark, 12 seasons with a winning record, and eight campaigns with 35 wins. Deiros is a former head coach at the 1998 Florida State Runner-up Lely High School in Naples and is the founding head coach of the 1999 District Champion/2001 Regional Runner-up Gulf Coast High School in Naples.

SUPPORT THE CAUSE
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.