FORT MYERS, Fla. – The FGCU baseball team suffered its first sweep of the season Sunday afternoon, falling 16-1 to UNF in the series finale. The Eagles fall to 31-15 on the year while the Ospreys move to 22-23. Both teams have matching 7-8 records in ASUN play.
 
"We did not come ready to play today," said head coach Dave Tollett. "We didn't make the routine plays and gave them too many freebies. We have our work cut out for us now and with only two weeks left we need to turn it around. Every game is that much more important."
 
Scoreless after the first, UNF plated a pair of runs in the second, single runs in the third and fourth, and two more runs in the sixth to lead 6-0 after six innings. After the Ospreys scored another in the eighth, the visitors broke the game open in the ninth with a nine-run inning. Jay Hayes (Altamonte Springs, Fla./Lyman HS) recorded FGCU's lone RBI, a pinch-hit sacrifice fly in the bottom of the ninth.
 
Justin Gill (Winter Haven, Fla./Lake Region HS/Polk State) appeared to pick up where he left off last week, cruising through the first inning. Alex Brait (Viera, Fla./Viera HS) then got FGCU going in its half of the inning, only for the first of two double plays in the first two innings bring a halt to the threat.
 
After UNF scored two runs in the second, Kohl Gilmore (Fort Pierce, Fla./John Carroll HS/Indian River State) led off the FGCU-half with a single to right, but again a double play prevented FGCU from scoring.
 
Another run for the Ospreys made it 3-0 in the third when Christian Proffitt (Cape Coral, Fla./Ida Baker HS) tallied a two-out single but was left there following a fly out.
 
The FGCU bats were limited from that point, reaching on an error in the sixth but nothing more. During that time, UNF made it 6-0 with a single run in the fourth and two more runs in the sixth.
 
The lead for UNF grew to 16-0 after the Ospreys plated a run in the eighth and nine more in the ninth, but the Eagles continued to battle. Tyler Shuck (Cape Coral, Fla./Canterbury HS) led off the ninth and reached on a hit by pitch. Brait then singled to center before Gilmore walked to load the bases with one out. Hayes brought Shuck in on a sacrifice fly to make it 16-1.
 
Gill (1-1) suffered his first loss of the season, working 5.0 innings, allowing three earned runs (six total) in that time. Sebastian Gruszecki (Dudley, Mass./Shepherd Hill Regional HS) tossed 2.0 innings, conceding a run on four hits. Kenton Hering (Melbourne, Fla./Viera HS/Eastern Florida State College) also worked an inning, surrendering just one hit. Parker Hamilton (Jupiter, Fla./Jupiter HS) and Bryan Wilcox (Davie, Fla./West Broward HS) worked the ninth.
 
UP NEXT
FGCU looks to bounce back and win the season series against Miami when the Eagles head to Coral Gables Wednesday to meet the 'Canes. The two are set for a 7 p.m. first pitch.
 
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 564-331-3 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.