FORT MYERS, Fla. – The FGCU baseball team (29-14, 11-3 ASUN) took game two against North Alabama (11-31, 5-11 ASUN) with a 7-2 win Saturday afternoon at Swanson Stadium. The Green and Blue triumph marks the fourth series win in conference play.

"I thought it was a good, complete game all the way around," head coach Dave Tollett said. "We pitched a better game and were able to string together some timely hits. We were able to extend a few innings and (Richie) Garcia had a big hit for us. We played much better today than we did yesterday and we are looking forward to tomorrow."

Senior Keith Stevens handed the Eagles an early lead after he cranked out a two-RBI single in the bottom of the first. Juniors Marc Coffers and Alex Brait scored on the play.

Senior Justin Gill started on the hill for the Green and Blue and kept the Lions off the board until the third inning, when the visiting team used a sac fly to make it a 2-1 ballgame.

Freshman Joe Kinker (Northport, FL/Venice HS) pushed Stevens (Miami, FL/Miami Killian HS/Hillsborough CC) across with an RBI double one inning later to re-extend the team's edge to 3-1.

The Lions worked the tying run on in the following frame. After recording two outs, Gill (Winter Haven, FL/Lake Region HS/Polk State) was relieved by sophomore Nikolas Bitner. A fielding error brought in one of the starter's baserunners, but the run was unearned. Through 4.2 innings of work, the southpaw fanned four and was charged with just one run on as many hits.

Over the next four innings, the Eagles put up four unanswered runs. Senior Eric Gonzalez (Miami, FL/American HS/ASA College) and Coffers (Naples, FL/Barron Collier HS) were each credited with an RBI in the spree and junior Richie Garcia (Davie, FL/West Broward HS) racked up two after his home run to left field that scored senior Jay Hayes.

Junior Sebastian Gruszecki and sophomore Gus Carter combined from the mound for the final nine outs. Gruszecki (Dudley, MA/Shepherd Hill Regional HS) tossed 1.2 frames and did not let up any hits. Carter (Melbourne, FL/Eau Gallie HS/Florida Southwestern) closed out the game, allowing one hit but fanning two Lions.

All but one of the Eagles' scoring plays were generated with two outs on the board. Hayes (Altamonte Springs, FL/Lyman HS) was able to extend two innings and was credited with a game-high two runs. Coffers, Brait (Viera, FL/Viera HS), Garcia, Stevens and freshman Jalen Townsend tacked on one apiece. Townsend (Oviedo, FL/Winter Park HS), who entered as a pinch runner, became the fourth Eagle to steal two bags in a single game.

Bitner (Palm Coast, FL/Flagler Palm Coast HS/Indian River) was awarded the win for his scoreless relief work and improved to 3-2 on the season.

The victory marks the fourth time this season that the Eagles have won an ASUN series. In 2017, a flagship year for the Green and Blue, the team also won four ASUN weekend matchups. The last time FGCU won at least five conference series was 2014 when the team claimed seven weekend battles.

Up Next
The teams will wrap up the series at 1 p.m. on Sunday. The Eagles, who swept Lipscomb three weekends ago, will be looking to complete their second conference sweep of the season.

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 594-351-3 overall record (.628) and a 194-104 (.651) 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 in November and April 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 77 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 36 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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