FORT MYERS, Fla. – The FGCU baseball team (21-9, 3-2 ASUN) staged the largest comeback in school history in order to earn a 10-9 win over Lipscomb (15-14, 3-5 ASUN) Saturday afternoon at Swanson Stadium. ­

The Eagles trailed 8-0 after five innings of play but scored two in the sixth, one in the seventh and a whopping seven in the eighth to take a 10-8 lead. FGCU then fended off a late rally from the visitors to complete the epic history-making comeback.

"In my 17 years here, I think that has to be the biggest comeback I've seen," head coach Dave Tollett said. "This was a huge win in order to win the series after being down 8-0. I think it says a lot about these players and this team. They just kept chipping away. Heiss was unbelievable on the mound, and for him to come in and put some zeros on the board helped us win. This is one that we will put in the archives and talk about for a long time. Our players won't quit now because they know they can come back from anything."

Prior to tonight, the school record for largest comeback was a seven-run deficit the Green and Blue overcame en route to a 12-11 victory over Penn State back in 2009. FGCU also scored seven runs in the eighth frame of that contest but needed 14 innings to complete the come-from-behind triumph.

Senior Evan Lumbert (Orlando, FL/Boone HS/South Florida State) made his seventh start for the Green and Blue and had to pitch against an aggressive Lipscomb offense. The Bisons used a well-balanced attack to put up seven runs (five earned) against Lumbert over the course of the first five frames.

Lumbert, who had no run support from the Eagles, was relieved by sophomore Gus Carter (Melbourne, FL/Eau Gallie HS/Florida Southwestern) in the fifth inning. He finished the day with a season-high seven strikeouts and walked just two batters. Carter was charged with a run after the Bisons' Maddux Houghton put Lipscomb up 8-0 with a solo shot to left center.

Junior Brenden Heiss (1-0) (Algonquin, IL/Jacob HS/John A. Logan/Arkansas) took over the mound in the sixth with one runner on and ended the frame after a flyout to center field and a swinging strikeout.

Senior Keith Stevens (Miami, FL/Miami Killian HS/Hillsborough CC) breathed some life into the Eagles' offense with an RBI double in the bottom of the sixth that scored freshman Joe Kinker (Northport, FL/Venice HS) and senior Jay Hayes (Altamonte Springs, FL/Lyman HS). Junior Alex Brait (Viera, FL/Viera HS) chipped away at the lead with an RBI in the bottom of the seventh that plated classmate Elijah Eusebio (Miami, FL/Coral Gables HS) and cut the advantage down to 8-3.

The Green and Blue's offense erupted in the eighth frame as FGCU used a seven-spot to surge into the lead. Eusebio got the scoring spree started with a single through the left side that brought in junior Kohl Gilmore (Fort Pierce, FL/John Carroll HS/Indian River). Senior Eric Gonzalez (Miami, FL/American HS/ASA College) and junior Marc Coffers (Naples, FL/Barron Collier HS) drew back-to-back walks with the bases loaded that plated Stevens and junior Richie Garcia, putting the Eagles within two. Brait tied things up at 8-8 with a single that scored Gonzalez and Eusebio.

Hayes handed the Eagles the lead with a sac fly to right field that brought in Coffers. Gilmore, who had reached base after being hit by a pitch as the first batter of the inning, returned to the batter's box and added what would become an all-important insurance run with a double down the right field line that plated a hustling Brait from first base.

With a 10-8 advantage heading into the top of the ninth, FGCU called junior Hunter McGarry (Bradenton, FL/Bradenton Christian School/State College of Florida) from the bullpen to get the last three outs and seal the victory. The Bisons used some two-out magic to get the bases loaded and threatened to regain their lead after an RBI on an infield single cut the Eagles' edge down to 10-9. Lipscomb would be denied, however, as McGarry and Brait combined to record the final out of the game with a force out at home plate.

McGarry picked up his fifth save of the season and is now in a four-way tie for eighth place on the single-season save charts. Heiss was awarded his first win of the season after pitching 2.2 scoreless innings, during which the Eagles took the lead.

The Eagles have now scored seven or more runs in a single inning on four occasions this season (full list below). There were only two such occurrences in all of 2018 and four total in the last three years combined.

7 RUNS OR MORE IN A SINGLE INNING IN 2019
8 in the sixth inning vs. Siena (March 1)
7 in the sixth inning vs. Siena (March 2)
7 in the seventh inning vs. Towson (March 30)
7 in the eighth inning vs. Lipscomb (April 6)

Up Next
The Eagles and the Bisons will return to Swanson Stadium at noon tomorrow to cap off the series. FGCU will be gunning for its first sweep against an ASUN opponent since taking down Kennesaw State in all three games to end the 2017 regular season.

Next week, the Green and Blue will face the Miami Hurricanes (19-11, 6-7 ACC) in a home-and-home midweek series. The first game will be at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, April 9 at Alex Rodriguez Park at Mark Light Field. The teams will then play at Swanson Stadium at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 10. The first game will be the 25th meeting in the series between the two teams, which the Hurricanes currently lead 19-5.

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 586-346-3 overall record (.628) and a 186-103 (.643) 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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