FORT MYERS, Fla. – The late-inning drama over the 2018 season continued Saturday as the #22 FGCU baseball team claimed a 3-1 victory over NJIT. Tied 1-1 heading into the bottom of the eighth, the Eagles (24-6, 2-0 ASUN) used a sacrifice fly from Richie Garcia before Marc Coffers stole home to seal the win over the Highlanders (11-12, 1-4).

"Marc can change a game," said head coach Dave Tollett. "He did that on his own. Proffitt got the inning going and then Marc laid down a great bunt but he can change a game. We take pride in small ball – both offensively and defensively.

"Josh was good, just one run through seven and if Kenton and Trey can keep throwing like that we'll be okay. We won the series and now we're going to come out tomorrow and try for the sweep."

FGCU and NJIT were deadlocked through seven innings thanks to an Eli Lovell (Lincoln, Neb./Lincoln Southwest HS/Kansas City Kansas Community College) home run in the third before the visitors tied the game in the fourth. Neither side was able to break the tie until the eighth, when the Eagles plated two, including Coffers (Naples, Fla./Barron Collier HS) stealing home, to take a 3-1 advantage into the ninth. The FGCU bullpen continued to dominate, stifling the Highlanders over the final two innings.

Josh Dye (DeLand, Fla/DeLand HS) battled through the first three innings, stranding four Highlanders during that stretch. Scoreless through the first two and a half innings, Lovell hit his second home run of the season and his second in as many games to lead off the FGCU third to give the home side a 1-0 lead.

NJIT tied the game in the top of the fourth on a walk and a double before Dye settled in and allowed just three singles over his final three innings.

FGCU left one on in the sixth but broke through in the eighth. Christian Proffitt (Cape Coral, Fla./Ida Baker HS) led off the inning with a single to center and moved to second on a bunt single from Coffers. After an error loaded the bases, Garcia ( Davie, Fla./West Broward HS) brought in the eventual winning run on a deep sac fly to center to score Proffitt. Both Coffers and Morey were off and running, stealing second and third before Coffers took off for home and successfully stole a run over the course of the next two at-bats.

Leading 3-1, Trey Vickery (Port Orange, Fla./Spruce Creek HS) handed the ball over to Kenton Hering (Melbourne, Fla./Viera HS/Eastern Florida State College), who struck out the side for his fifth save of the season. Dye finished with three walks and three strikeouts over 7.0 innings. Vickery (2-0) got the win, striking out one in his inning of work.

UP NEXT
FGCU goes for the series sweep and a ninth-straight win over NJIT tomorrow at 12 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 556-322-3 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.