FORT MYERS, Fla. – The FGCU baseball team (18-8, 1-2 ASUN) handed Towson (3-21, 0-3 CAA) a 5-2 loss at Swanson Stadium Saturday afternoon. With today's win, the Eagles have now clinched their sixth non-conference series of the season.

"We had a good start from Lumbert. Once he settled in, he got in a groove and it was really good," head coach Dave Tollett said. "McGarry came in and gave us a chance to win, which is just what he does. I thought Brait and Kohl were huge for us. They had some big-time RBIs. Brait's last RBI was a big hit because it gave us a three-run lead which we always talk about trying to get to. Hopefully, the bottom of the lineup will do a little more for us tomorrow."

It took the Eagles just two pitchers to get through this afternoon's game. Senior Evan Lumbert (Orlando, FL/Boone HS/South Florida State) pitched a quality start for the Green and Blue. Lumbert (3-2) hurled 6.0 innings, struck out six, walked none and allowed two earned runs.

Junior Hunter McGarry (Bradenton, FL/Bradenton Christian School/State College of Florida) threw the final three frames for FGCU. He struck out one and gave up just one hit to the 10 batters he faced. McGarry picked up his fourth save of the season. With one more save, McGarry will tie for eighth in FGCU program history for number of saves in a single season. The record is currently 12, held by Sterling Koerner (2017).

The Tigers struck early and put up one run before the Eagles had a chance to respond. Junior Kohl Gilmore (Fort Pierce, FL/John Carroll HS/Indian River) plated classmate Marc Coffers (Naples, FL/Barron Collier HS) with a sac fly in the home half of the first to even things up at 1-1. Towson then regained the lead using an RBI single to post a 2-1 advantage after two complete frames.

Gilmore tied things up for the Eagles again with an RBI single in the third that scored senior Jay Hayes (Altamonte Springs, FL/Lyman HS). From there, the Green and Blue never looked back. Freshman Joe Kinker (Northport, FL/Venice HS) added an RBI of his own and junior Alex Brait (Viera, FL/Viera HS) tacked on two to give FGCU its final 5-2 lead.

Coffers and Hayes each scored two runs for the Green and Blue and freshman Jalen Townsend (Oviedo, FL/Winter Park HS) came home on one of Brait's RBIs.

Defensively, this was a strong game for the Eagles. Junior Richie Garcia (Davie, FL/West Broward HS) and Hayes each finished the day with three assists and the team did not make any errors. This was FGCU's first game of the season that the pitching staff gave up zero walks. However, the Eagles conceded two triples after allowing just one all season prior to today.

FGCU won all six of its weekend non-conference series' this season. The only other time in school history the Eagles won six or more three- or four-game series against non-conference opponents came in 2017 when they went on to win the ASUN Championship and compete as the No. 2 seed at the NCAA Chapel Hill Regional.

Up Next
The Eagles and the Tigers will return to Swanson Stadium tomorrow at noon for the series finale. The Green and Blue will be looking to sweep the weekend series for the first time since a matchup against LIU Brooklyn back in February.
 
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.con/FGCUBaseball. You can also find FGCU athletics on YouTube by visiting YouTube.com/FGCUEagles.

COACH TOLLETT
FGCU coach Dave Tollett currently owns a 583-345-3 overall record (.628) and a 184-103 (.641) 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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