MIAMI – The FGCU baseball team (22-10, 4-2 ASUN) dropped a midweek game 13-9 against Miami (21-12, 7-8 ACC) in a battle against the elements on Tuesday night at Mark Light Field.

"Our offense was absolutely fantastic," head coach Dave Tollett said. "They picked up exactly where they left off this weekend, but we had problems on the mound. We swung the bats well enough to win but we're going to have to pitch games better to win in the midweek games."

The Eagles jumped out to an early lead in the opening frame after putting up a three-spot. Junior Alex Brait (Viera, FL/Viera HS) plated senior Marc Coffers (Naples, FL/Barron Collier HS) for the first run of the night with an RBI triple. Senior Jay Hayes (Altamonte Springs, FL/Lyman HS) and junior Richie Garcia (Davie, FL/West Broward HS) added a pair of RBIs to round out the inning.

Junior Brenden Heiss (1-1) (Algonquin, IL/Jacob HS/John A. Logan/Arkansas) started on the bump and was in the middle of facing Miami's leadoff batter when the lightning alarms went off at Alex Rodriguez Park. The game was delayed 51 minutes.

After the game resumed, the Hurricanes managed load the bases and eventually scored a run on a wild pitch, trimming FGCU's edge to 3-1 after the extra-long opening frame.

Miami put up eight runs over the next few frames and took a 9-3 lead. Three different pitchers made relief appearances out of the bullpen for the Eagles and all were charged with at least one earned run.

The Green and Blue capitalized on some Hurricane miscues across the sixth and seventh innings to put up another three runs, but Miami distanced itself once again when two came in on an RBI single that put the team back up 11-6.

Brait and Hayes put a spark in FGCU's offense with back-to-back homers in the top of the eighth. Brait's was a two-run shot to right field that brought in Coffers and Hayes' was a solo shot to the same spot. Pinch hitter Cameron Krzeminski (Coral Springs, FL/St. Thomas Aquinas HS) laid down a suicide squeeze that sent senior Keith Stevens (Miami, FL/Miami Killian HS/Hillsborough CC) and pinch runner Jalen Townsend (Oviedo, FL/Winter Park HS) over to second and third. Garcia then drew a walk to put the go-ahead run on base, but a pair of strikeouts ended the bases-loaded threat.

Miami responded to the late push with a pair of insurance runs that re-established its lead at 13-9, which the home side held onto for the final victory. FGCU was able to get runners on second and third with nobody out in the top of the ninth, but the visitors were unable to do any further damage to the scoreboard.

Seven different pitchers made appearances in tonight's game. Heiss was tagged with his first loss of the year.

Up Next
The Eagles and Hurricanes will head to Fort Myers tomorrow for game two of the home-and-home series. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at Swanson Stadium. The game will be sponsored by Bank of America and serve as Military Appreciation Day.

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 587-347-3 overall record (.629) and a 187-103 (.644) 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 35 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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