BOCA RATON, FL – The FGCU softball team (6-5) split a pair of games on the first day of the FAU Strike Out Cancer Tournament Saturday afternoon at the FAU Softball Stadium.
"Riley was dominant and we were able to score in a variety of ways," head coach
David Deiros said. "I really think we swung the bats better in the FAU game but we were atypically generous to our opponents on the other side of the ball. I look for us to be better tomorrow."
The first game of the morning saw FGCU accumulate 13 hits on offense as the Eagles shutout UConn in a 7-0 final. Midway through three innings, the Eagles and Owls were tied 2-2 but the hosts would post crooked numbers in the fifth and sixth to eventually pull away 8-3.
FGCU 7 | UCONN 0
Right from the start, FGCU was able to take a 1-0 lead. A trio of base hits from
Sammi Poehlman (Ormond Beach, FL./Daytona State),
Mikenzie Vaughn (Kennesaw, GA./Florida Southwestern) and
Racquel Fournet (Windermere, FL./Windermere Preparatory School) loaded the bags. This allowed
Reedy Davenport (St. Johns, FL./Bartram Trail HS) to lay down a bunt to bring in Poehlman for the score.
In the very next frame, Poehlman was once again in the mix, this time lining a two-out single. Following a walk from Vaughn, Fournet drilled a single up the middle for the 2-0 advantage.
The bats remained alive for the Eagles, this time with a three-run fourth inning. A bunt single from
Kate Kelly (Cape Coral, FL./Seminole State College) turned into the first run as Vaughn brought her home with a double. Now with runners on first and second after Fournet drew a walk,
Brooke Clemens (West Rotunda, FL./Florida) laced the frame's second double as Vaughn tacked on FGCU's fourth run. The final run of the inning came off the bat of Davenport, a chopper that allowed pinch runner
Ashley Hayes (Naples, FL./Barron Collier HS) to score.
FGCU bumped its lead to 7-0 manufacturing three hits into a pair of runs. Singles from Fournet and Hayes got things started for the offense. Facing one out, Davenport collected her third RBI of the afternoon on a double to right field, scoring pinch runner
Diane Servideo (Naples, FL./Coker College). After a strikeout made it two outs, Hayes scored the Green and Blue's final run on a wild pitch.
Meanwhile starting pitcher
Riley Randolph (St. Petersburg, FL./Northeast HS) retired the first eight batters she faced, recording six strikeouts before UConn produced its first hit in the third. With a comfortable lead, Randolph yielded just one runner to get on in the sixth as she struck out the side in the seventh, moving to 4-2 this season.
The lefty finished the game with a season-high 13 strikeouts (10 plus strikeouts in four-straight games).
At the plate, Davenport went 3-for-4 with three RBI, while Vaughn, Fournet and Clemens record one RBI apiece.
FGCU 3 | FAU 8
The Owls quickly jumped out in front 2-0 in the bottom of the first but the Eagles responded with two runs in the top of the third. Looking at one out,
McKenna Betterton (Norco, CA./Eleanor Roosevelt HS) reached on a throwing error, as a double to center from Poehlman scored her in. Two batters later, Fournet singled to right to tie the game.
The hosts responded with a run in the bottom half then added two more in the fifth to take a 5-2 lead.
The Eagles inched closer in the top of the sixth as Davenport launched her first collegiate home run over the right-field wall. FAU pulled away in its half of the sixth, scoring three runs on four hits along with two FGCU errors in the eventual 8-3 final.
Starting pitcher
Morgan White (Ocala, FL./Forest HS) gets tagged with the loss, giving up three runs in her two innings of work.
Up Next
FGCU ends the final day of the tournament tomorrow at 10:30 am facing UConn.
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 618-319-3 (.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.
