FORT MYERS, Fla. – The FGCU baseball team (13-7, 0-1 ASUN) fell to UNF (15-9, 1-0 ASUN) in the ASUN Conference opener for both programs Friday night at Harmon Stadium.
"It's tough to come back from giving up four runs in the first," head coach Dave Tollett said. "We gave up too many freebies to win on a Friday night. We hit three home runs, but they were all solos. We struggled to get anyone on base in front of those guys. That's the story of the game. We'll get back at it tomorrow."
Senior Evan Lumbert (Orlando, FL/Boone HS/South Florida State) made the start for the Green and Blue on the mound. Through 4.2 innings of work, he struck out four, walked three and allowed five runs on as many hits.
The Ospreys opened up the game with a four-spot in the first inning, marking the most runs scored by an FGCU opponent in the first frame of a game this season.
Senior Jay Hayes (Altamonte Springs, FL/Lyman HS) broke open the scoring for the Eagles with a solo home run over the wall in left center field in the fourth inning. Junior Kohl Gilmore (Fort Pierce, FL/John Carroll HS/Indian River) tagged on a solo shot of his own when he cranked a ball out that cut UNF's lead to 4-2.
Hayes came back up for the Eagles in the fifth inning and doubled down the left field line to plate junior Alex Brait (Viera, FL/Viera HS), who had reached with a single up the middle and stole his fourth base of the season. The run put the Green and Blue within one.
After two Ospreys reached base in the fifth, Lumbert was retired for the evening by sophomore lefty Gus Carter (Melbourne, FL/Eau Gallie HS/Florida Southwestern). Carter tossed the next frame for the Eagles, striking out two, walking one and allowing two runs that extended UNF's lead to 5-3.
Junior Keegan Collett (Dallas, TX/Trinity Christian School/Northern Oklahoma-Tonkawa) and senior Garrett Bye(Riverview, FL/Riverview HS/Miami Dade USF) each made appearances for the Green and Blue in the seventh inning. Collett faced four batters and notched one strikeout before handing the mound over to Bye. With the bases loaded, Bye recorded a strikeout to get out of the frame.
After two scoreless innings, freshman Joe Kinker (Northport, FL/Venice HS) blasted the second pitch of his at-bat out of the park to pull the Eagles within three in the eighth, but it was the last scoring play for the Green and Blue.
Junior Brenden Heiss (Algonquin, IL/Jacob HS/John A. Logan/Arkansas) kept the Ospreys off the board to close out the frame, finishing with one strikeout.
The last time FGCU dropped the first game of a weekend series was a 6-3 loss to Bethune-Cookman in the season opener, but the Eagles came back to claim the series. Lumbert (2-2) was tagged with tonight's loss. The Ospreys' starter Brad Deppermann earned the win and Trace Norkus was awarded a save for keeping the Green and Blue off the board in the final frame.
UP NEXT
The teams will be back in action at 2 p.m. tomorrow at Harmon Stadium for the second game of the series. The finale is slated for 1 p.m. 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 578-344-3 overall record (.626) and a 183-102 (.642) record in the ASUN. 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 75 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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