FORT MYERS, Fla. – A walkoff home run in the bottom of the 11th inning by freshman Joe Kinker (Northport, FL/Venice HS) awarded the FGCU baseball team (12-5) with a 4-1 win over Rutgers (4-10) Friday night at Swanson Stadium.

"It was a pitching duel tonight," head coach Dave Tollett said. "(Rutgers' pitcher) was really good and Lumbert matched him. Shuck, Seb and McGarry were great on the back end and kept us in things. We had several chances to win it and we just couldn't buy a hit. It's amazing to watch Kinker. He strikes out three times and it just doesn't faze him. He comes up with the game on the line and puts one out of the ballpark. That says a lot about a freshman."

For a game that was almost five hours long, there was not a lot of action as both teams struggled to string something together on offense. The Eagles took an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. Junior Richie Garcia (Davie, FL/West Broward HS) singled to right center field, bringing in junior Alex Brait (Viera, FL/Viera HS) who had reached on a single of his own.

The Scarlet Knights were not able to come up with a response until the top of the fourth when David Soto doubled to left field, scoring Victor Valderrama. The RBI double tied the score at 1-1.

FGCU had a solid chance to take the lead in the bottom of the fourth. Garcia reached on a walk and was followed up with a single by junior Kohl Gilmore (Fort Pierce, FL/John Carroll HS/Indian River). Freshman Jalen Townsend (Oviedo, FL/Winter Park HS) reached on a throwing error and Garcia was in a position to score for the home team but got caught in a rundown that ended the inning.

Senior Evan Lumbert (Orlando, FL/Boone HS/South Florida State), who made the start for the Green and Blue, pitched five innings before being retired. Lumbert struck out five, walked three and allowed one run on five hits, leaving the game with a no-decision.

Sophomore Tyler Shuck (Cape Coral, FL/Canterbury HS) took over the mound to start the sixth and sat down the first three Rutgers batters he faced. He made it through two innings before the Eagles called up junior Sebastian Gruszecki (Dudley, MA/Shepherd Hill Regional HS) from the bullpen. Shuck finished the night with two strikeouts and let up two hits.

Gruszecki cruised through his first frame of work and, after allowing two on in the ninth, was replaced by junior Hunter McGarry (Bradenton, FL/Bradenton Christian School/State College of Florida). Gruszecki had already recorded two outs, one on a strikeout, and McGarry wrapped things up with a K of his own.

With the teams knotted up at 1-1 through nine, the game was sent into extra innings. Neither side was able to get itself into scoring position until the bottom of the 11th. Sophomore Christian Proffitt (Cape Coral, FL/Ida Baker HS) and senior Eric Gonzalez (Miami, FL/American HS/ASA College) both reached on back-to-back singles. Brait reached on a fielder's choice that sent Proffitt to third. Gonzalez was out on the play.

With two runners on and two outs, Kinker stepped into the batter's box. The freshman, who was 0-for-4 with three strikeouts, homered to left field on a 2-1 count for the walk off win. Kinker's homer was his fourth of the season and ties for the team lead with Jay Hayes (Altamonte Springs, FL/Lyman HS).

McGarry (2-0) earned the victory on the mound after tossing a hitless and scoreless final 2.1 innings. The Scarlet Knights advanced a base runner to third base in the third, fifth and eighth innings but were stalled every time by the Eagles.

Both teams finished with eight hits. Brait and Garcia had two each to lead FGCU. Brait also scored twice.

UP NEXT
The teams will be back in action tomorrow for the second game of the series. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. at Swanson Stadium. The finale is slated for an 11 a.m. start on Sunday.

WE'VE GOT YOUR SEAT
Experience FGCU Baseball and Softball this season. The following ticket opportunities are on sale now:
Group Sales
Bring your group of 15 or more to an FGCU Baseball or Softball game. All group tickets include your choice of concessions or an FGCU hat ($15 value), in-game group recognition and more. For more information on group outings, click HERE or call 239-590-7145.
Single Game Tickets
Single game tickets are available for all remaining home games. Adult tickets are $7 each. Discounted tickets are available for current or former Military and Youth ages 3-15 for just $5 each. Baseball and Softball Frequent Flyer Cards allow multiple entries for more than 50 percent off the adult rate. Choose 34 baseball entries for $105 or 17 softball entries for $55. Purchase online HERE or call 239-590-7145.
 
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.
 
COACH TOLLETT
FGCU coach Dave Tollett currently owns a 577-342-3 record. He is the only head coach in the program's history and led the program to its first trip to the NCAA Tournament in 2017. 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 No. 9 in the country in 2017, and has coached 54 all-conference selections, 31 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 seven-time MLB All-Star.
 
5X CHAMPS
The 2017 season was a magical one for the Green and Blue that ended in the program's first Division I NCAA Championship tournament berth. The Eagles ended the year 43-20, which included a midweek sweep over No. 2 Florida, single wins over No. 1 Florida State, Miami, and a three-game sweep at UNC Wilmington. The wins over Miami, FSU, and UF marked the first time FGCU defeated all three programs in the same season.
 
Reaching as high as No. 9 in the polls, the highest of any program at FGCU, the Eagles struggled in April but bounced back to finish third in the ASUN. During the ASUN Championship, FGCU won four games in a span of 29 hours for their first tournament crown.
 
The Green and Blue earned the No. 2 seed in the Chapel Hill Regional, defeating Michigan 10-6 before losses to Davidson and North Carolina ended their season. The tournament title added to FGCU's four regular season crowns.
 
#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.
 
ABOUT FGCU
FGCU teams have combined to win an incredible 74 conference regular season and tournament titles in just 11+ seasons at the Division-I level. Additionally, in just seven+ seasons of D-I postseason eligibility, the Eagles have had a combined 34 teams or individuals compete in NCAA championships. Seven FGCU programs have earned a top-25 national ranking in their respective sport – including both men's and women's soccer again in 2018. In 2016-17, the Green and Blue posted a department-best 6th-place finish in the DI-AAA Learfield Directors' Cup and top-100 showing nationally, ahead of several Power-5 and FBS institutions. FGCU also collectively earned a record 3.35 GPA in the classroom in the Spring, 2018 and had an ASUN Conference and State of Florida best five teams earn the NCAA's Public Recognition Award for their Academic Progress Rate in their sport.  The Eagles also served an all-time high 7,200 volunteer hours – being recognized as one of two runner-ups for the inaugural NACDA Community Service Award presented by the Fiesta Bowl.
 
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