SAN DIEGO, CA – The FGCU softball team (9-9) ended its west coast road swing on a strong note, shutting out San Diego State (10-9) by a score of 9-0 in six innings (run rule) Tuesday evening at the SDSU Softball Stadium.

"Great team effort to finish the road trip on a high note," head coach David Deiros said. "We still have a ways to go to get better but we are moving into the right direction."

Despite not being at full strength in the outfield, the Eagles earned their seventh shutout of the season en route to posting a season-high nine runs Tuesday night.

FGCU produced the first run of the night in the top of the third inning. Senior Kate Kelly (Cape Coral, FL./Seminole State College) began the frame with a leadoff single and advanced to second then third after a stolen base and grounder. Two batters later, senior Racquel Fournet (Windermere, FL./Windermere Preparatory School) reached on a fielder's choice as the throw home fell out of the catcher's mitt, allowing Morrell to score on the error.  

In the top of the fifth, the Eagles built their lead to four, producing three runs on three hits and two errors. Kelly singled and reached second following the first error. A sacrifice bunt from McKenna Batterton (Norco, CA./Eleanor Roosevelt HS) moved the senior over to third. Sophomore Haley Morrell (Tampa, FL./Academy of Holy Names) brought her in with a single up the middle as two batters later, Morrell tacked on the frame's second run thanks to an RBI single from freshman Reedy Davenport (St. Johns, FL./Bartram Trail HS). Senior Brooke Clemens (West Rotunda, FL./Florida) found herself on first after the inning's third error, putting runners on the corners. Pinch runner Ahnie Jumper (Clewiston, FL./Plantation American Heritage) would be caught stealing but heads-up base running at third by Davenport gave FGCU its fourth run of the night.
  
Continuing to cruise behind once again another dominating outing from starting pitcher Riley Randolph (St. Petersburg, FL./Northeast HS), the Green and Blue posted a five-run sixth frame off six hits. With two runners on with a pair of singles from Mikenzie Vaughn (Kennesaw, GA./Florida Southwestern) and Kelly, Diane Servideo (Naples, FL./Coker College) roped an RBI single through the left side. Morrell cleared the bags with a double to center as Fournet brought the Tampa native home with a double of her own, also to center. Davenport produced the last run of the frame hitting a chopper through the right side.

Randolph moves to 7-5 overall this year, finishing her ninth complete game of the year scattering four hits while fanning 10 batters with no walks. The senior surpassed the century mark (102) as she now has struck out over 100 batters in each of her four seasons at FGCU.

Morrell ended her day at the plate going 2-for-3 with three RBI as Davenport capped off her night going 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI. Fournet and Servideo recorded one RBI apiece.

Up Next
FGCU returns home to for a doubleheader against No. 16 Indiana (17-2) starting at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Mar. 12.

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 621-323-3 (.657) 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.