FORT MYERS, Fla. – The FGCU softball team (4-3) suffered a 2-1 loss to Lamar (2-6) in the opening day of the FGCU Invitational Friday evening.
"Today we did not play up to our expectations," head coach
David Deiros said. "There are some things we need to clean up and it's a work in process. Saturday we're faced with a unique opportunity competing against No. 2 world ranked Team Japan but we have to be ready to come back Sunday and close out the Invitational."
The visitors jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the third inning, scoring on an unearned run. The tying run from the Eagles would be produced in the bottom half of the fifth. After junior
Morgan Greco (Winter Springs, Fla./Oviedo HS/Indian River State) was hit by a pitch, freshman
Ashley Hayes (Naples, Fla./Barron Collier HS) was called on as a pinch-runner. Hayes moved all the way to third on a grounder back to the pitcher, setting up sophomore
Farley Callaghan (Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla./Ponte Vedra HS) for the sac bunt to tie the contest.
Starting pitcher
Riley Randolph (St. Petersburg, Fla./Northeast HS) struck out eight batters through the first five innings as she would concede her first earned run of the season in the sixth. Over the final two frames, the Eagles stranded three runners on the bags, as the tying run one was left on second base in the final inning.
Callaghan finished the contest going 2-for-2 at the plate. In the circle, Randolph tossed all seven frames, scattering four hits, gave up four walks while striking out 10 Cardinals as the senior moves to 2-2 overall.
Up Next
FGCU faces Team Japan at 5:30 pm Saturday afternoon. The Eagles then come back Sunday to face Lamar at 10 am, followed by Memphis at noon.
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 17th season as head coach. Hired in 2001 to build the program from the dirt up, Deiros has since guided the Eagles to a 616-317-3 (.665) overall mark, 13 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.
