FORT MYERS, Fla. – Seniors Eric Gonzalez (Miami, FL/American HS/ASA College) and Jay Hayes (Altamonte Springs, FL/Lyman HS) used a pair of home runs to boost the FGCU baseball team (20-9, 2-2 ASUN) to a 5-3 victory over Lipscomb (15-13, 3-4 ASUN) Friday night at Swanson Stadium.

"This was a big Friday night win for us," head coach Dave Tollett said. "Studstill gave us a great start, McGarry came in and did what he does and we had a big pinch hit from Gonzalez. Those two seniors tonight were absolutely huge. It was a great win for us because Friday night wins in this league are tough to get. We respect Lipscomb, we knew exactly what we were going to get and that it was going to be a good ball game."

Junior Mason Studstill (Titusville, FL/Rockledge HS/Eastern Florida State) started on the bump for the Green and Blue. He sat down the first three batters that he faced but gave up a two-run shot in the top of the second, giving the Bisons an early 2-0 lead.

The Eagles, who have started off hot their last few games, worked slowly in the first few frames and were unable to get on the board until the fifth inning. Senior Keith Stevens (Miami, FL/Miami Killian HS/Hillsborough CC) reached base with a leadoff double and junior Richie Garcia (Davie, FL/West Broward HS) followed up with a walk. Gonzalez stepped into the batter's box as a pinch hitter and blasted the ball over the left field wall on the second pitch that he saw. The three-run shot gave FGCU its first lead of the night.

The Bisons evened things up in the sixth with an RBI that knotted the teams at 3-3. Studstill made it through another full frame before leaving the game with a no-decision. The junior threw 7.0 innings, struck out eight, walked three and gave up three runs on as many hits. He was relieved by junior Hunter McGarrry (3-1) (Bradenton, FL/Bradenton Christian School/State College of Florida).

Junior Alex Brait (Viera, FL/Viera HS) reached base as the leading run after he singled through the right side in the bottom of the eighth. Hayes did the team one better and smoked a ball over the left center wall that awarded the Green and Blue with its final 5-3 lead.

The Bisons managed to get two on in the top of the ninth and a sac bunt sent the runners over to second and third. McGarry ended the game with a groundout, a strikeout looking and a line drive that sailed right into the glove of Gonzalez at shortstop. McGarry was awarded his third win of the season and Lipscomb's reliever Tyler Guilfoil was tagged with his first loss of the year.

This was the only game of the season where the Eagles' only scoring plays were on home runs, and the five hits are the lowest that the Green and Blue have cranked out in a victory. Gonzalez' pinch-hit homer was the second of the season. Junior Elijah Eusebio (Miami, FL/Coral Gables HS) did so in the seventh inning of a 14-8 loss at North Florida on March 24.

Up Next
The Eagles and the Bisons will be back at Swanson Stadium tomorrow at 2 p.m. for the second game of the series. The finale is slated for 1 p.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.con/FGCUBaseball. You can also find FGCU athletics on YouTube by visiting YouTube.com/FGCUEagles.

COACH TOLLETT
FGCU coach Dave Tollett currently owns a 585-346-3 overall record (.628) and a 185-103 (.642) 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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