DELAND, Fla. – The FGCU softball team (39-17) ended its run in the ASUN Softball Championship on day three with a pair of narrow losses and will now hope for an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament. In game one of the afternoon, the Eagles fell to top-seeded Kennesaw State (38-15) on a walk-off three-run home run, 4-2, followed by a 6-3 defeat in 10 innings to No. 3 USC Upstate (35-18) in the nightcap.

"Two very tough losses today," said head coach David Deiros. "We had our opportunities in both games today just couldn't seal the deal. I'm proud of what these kids have done all year up to this point and the resume this team has built. Hopefully, the NCAA Selection Committee sees that and we continue our run into a regional site."

FGCU was ahead on the Owls 2-1 and were looking to close it out but KSU would rally in its final at-bat with Maddie Roth connecting on a three-run homer for the walk-off 4-2 win. Facing another close battle, the Eagles led 3-2 after five before the Spartans tied the affair with a run in the sixth. The contest would head into extras all the way to the 10th where USC Upstate pushed across three runners in the eventual 6-3 win.

FGCU 2, KSU 4
Scoreless after two innings, Haley Morrell (Tampa, Fla./Academy of Holy Names) got the wheels turning on offense with a well-placed bunt in front of the catcher for the single. Two batters later with one out, senior Kelsey Huff (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla./Dwyer HS) sliced a liner through the left-center cap allowing Morrell to come all the way from home for the 1-0 advantage.

After the Eagles defense worked around a two-out double in the third, the score remained 1-0 until the fifth inning. Bri Innamorato (Mullica Hill, N.J./Bishop Eustace HS) began the momentum with a leadoff knock through the right side. Soon after, the senior would advance to second on a chopper from Morrell then headed to third on a wild pitch. With the inning still alive, Erica Ward (Jacksonville, Fla./Trinity Christian Academy/Seminole State College) stepped in as a pinch-hitter and connected on a soft liner over the head of the shortstop for the RBI single.

The Owls kept the scoreboard tight responding in its bottom half to cut the deficit down to one, 2-1. KSU continued the pressure in the sixth but Taylor Bauman (Jacksonville, Fla./Atlantic Coast HS), who came in relief for Riley Randolph (St. Petersburg, Fla./Northeast HS) induced a pop fly and a strikeout to stay ahead.

The trouble began in the bottom of the seventh as the Owls' Tamewitz singled and rounded first onto to second on an errant throw but Racquel Fournet (Windermere, Fla./Windermere Preparatory School) would toss her out. Soon after, a single and a fielder's choice set up Maddie Roth to drive one out of the park as KSU walked it off in the 4-2 final.

Bauman is tagged with the loss (2-4) while Randolph tossed 5.1 innings, scattering five hits and one earned run.

FGCU 3, USC UPSTATE 6
After the Spartans took a 1-0 lead on a double steal in the top of the second, FGCU responded with two runs in its bottom half. Innamorato reached on an error and soon advanced to third on another miscue after Ashley Swiderski (Naples, Fla./Barron Collier HS) was on with a fielder's choice. Morrell followed it up with a bunt single scoring in Innamorato as Swiderski headed third on one more error. Natalie Lopez (Miami, Fla./Westminster Christian HS) then capped off the scoring hitting an RBI single up the middle.

The third frame saw no one cross home but Upstate tacked a run on in the fourth while FGCU added to its lead in the fifth. Huff singled and stole second allowing Fournet to bring her in on a base hit to left. Not going away yet, the Spartans answered pushing one across in the sixth as the contest headed to extras.

In the 10th, the Spartans began stirring using a walk and a pair of bunts to load the bases. A grounder would bring one run in, then a double from Kara Beasley pushed two more across. FGCU was in business in its last at-bat after Lopez and Brittany McGuire (Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla./Ponte Vedra HS) walked but a double play spoiled the chances of any comeback as the Eagles fell 6-3.

Randolph (18-7) suffers the loss after her 4.2 innings of relief, as Morrell finished 2-for-4 at the plate with one RBI.

UP NEXT
With the #33 RPI in the nation, FGCU will await the NCAA Softball Selection Show broadcasted on Sunday, May 13 at 10 p.m. EST on ESPN 2 to see if the Eagles will receive an at-large bid into the tournament.

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 612-314-3 (.665) overall mark, 12 seasons with a winning record, and nine 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.