FORT MYERS, Fla. – The FGCU baseball team (10-4) came out on top of a close 6-5 battle against Quinnipiac (3-5) Friday afternoon at Swanson Stadium.

"It's a Friday night win and we'll take it," head coach Dave Tollett said. "Their guy was really good, our starter was really good and that's a typical Friday night. It's usually a one-run ball game on Friday nights and we got some clutch hits. What I was really excited about is that when we got down we fought back and took the lead. That's something we have yet to do this season, so I was really happy to see that."

Junior Mason Studstill (Titusville, FL/Rockledge HS/Eastern Florida State) made the start for the Green and Blue and controlled the pace of the game through the first few innings of play. Up until the sixth inning, Studstill had only given up one hit.

Freshman Joe Kinker (Northport, FL/Venice HS) was the first to get on the board when he notched his second home run of the year with a ball that was smoked over the left center wall. Junior Alex Brait (Viera, FL/Viera HS), who had reached on a single, scored on Kinker's shot, giving the home team a 2-0 advantage.

Quinnipiac first scored in the sixth inning with an RBI double by Kyle Maves. The Bobcats added on a pair of runs in the seventh from back-to-back sacrifice flies by Liam Scafariello and Brian Moskey that gave the visitors a 3-2 lead, their first of the game.

Sophomore Christian Proffitt (Cape Coral, FL/Ida Baker HS) responded in the bottom of the seventh with a sacrifice fly of his own that brought in freshman pinch runner Jalen Townsend (Oviedo, FL/Winter Park HS) and knotted things up at 3-3.

After seven innings of work, Studstill was relieved by junior Hunter McGarry (Bradenton, FL/Bradenton Christian School/State College of Florida). The starter finished the day with seven strikeouts and gave up just three walks, pitching a quality start and a no-decision. McGarry sat down the first three Quinnipiac batters that he faced.

In the bottom of the eighth inning, the Eagles' offense made its final push for the win. Jay Hayes (Altamonte Springs, FL/Lyman HS) had an RBI single that scored freshman pinch runner Cameron Krzeminski (Coral Springs, FL/St. Thomas Aquinas HS). Townsend snuck a ball through the gap in left center for an RBI single that brought in junior Richie Garcia (Davie, FL/West Broward HS). Hayes eventually came around to score on a Marc Coffers (Naples, FL/Barron Collier HS) single.

The Bobcats tried to take advantage of their final chance at bat. Though they entered the ninth with a 6-3 deficit, they refused to go down without a fight. Scafariello and Ian Ostberg each had an RBI single for Quinnipiac that pulled their team within one. With the tying run on first, Proffitt and Eric Gonzalez (Miami, FL/American HS/ASA College) ended the game with a fielder's choice putout.

McGarry finished the game with his first win of the season. Through just two innings of work, the right-hander helped contain Quinnipiac's offense and helped put his team in a position to secure the win. McGarry finished the day with two strikeouts and walked two.

UP NEXT
The teams will return to Swanson Stadium at 2 p.m. tomorrow afternoon for the second game of the series. The series finale is scheduled for 11 a.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 575-339-3 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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