FLORENCE, Ala. – The FGCU softball team (20-16, 5-3 ASUN) swept North Alabama (17-13, 3-5 ASUN), collecting a 9-1 victory in game one and followed it up with a 1-0 nail-biter to clinch its second ASUN series of the season.  

"It's great to win the series on day one," said head coach David Deiros. "Our team was tough and resilient but nobody was more than Marissa [Mesiemore]. Her performance today was outstanding."

FGCU 9 | UNA 1
The Lions took an early 1-0 lead scoring one run on two hits in the bottom of the first. FGCU was held to one hit through four innings until breaking out with a four-run fifth. Freshman McKenna Batterton (Norco, CA./Eleanor Roosevelt HS) walked and senior Kate Kelly (Cape Coral, FL./Seminole State College) singled to get things going. They would both advance on a fielder's choice setting up senior Racquel Fournet (Windermere, FL./Windermere Preparatory School) to clear the bases with a one-out double to left. Freshman Reedy Davenport (St. Johns, FL./Bartram Trail HS) roped a base hit up the middle, going to second on the throw as Fournet raced to third.   

Two batters later, junior Mikenzie Vaughn (Kennesaw, GA./Florida Southwestern) laced a two-run knock to center to give FGCU a 4-1 lead. In the sixth, the Green and Blue posted three runs to balloon its lead to six. Kelly reached on with a single as sophomore Haley Morrell (Tampa, FL./Academy of Holy Names) scored Kelly in with a triple to center, her first of the season. UNA made a pitching change only for Fournet to launch her second home run of the year over the left-field wall.

FGCU added a pair of runs in the top of the seventh for the extra insurance. Freshman Ashley Hayes (Naples, FL./Barron Collier HS) singled, stole second and moved to third on a bouncing ball to short. Morrell dug in the batter's box and smacked a two-run shot to left, her fifth of the year.

Starting senior pitcher Riley Randolph (St. Petersburg, FL./Northeast HS) – who recorded her 100th career start with the Eagles – tossed three innings of work, allowing one run on four hits. Sophomore Marissa Mesiemore (Bushnell, FL./South Sumter HS) came in relief and worked the final four innings, surrendering no runs on three hits as she picked up the win. Fournet and Morrell ended game one going 2-for-5 each with four and three RBI, respectively.

FGCU 1 | UNA 0
Runs were at a premium in the second contest of the afternoon as well as hits with both teams combining for six hits (three apiece). Fournet registered the Eagles' first hit in the fourth but nothing would come of it. It wasn't until the top of the sixth which proved to be the deciding run. Sophomore Farley Callaghan (Ponte Vedra Beach, FL./Ponte Vedra HS) led the frame off with a solo home run to left to put the Eagles on the board, her first of the season.

Mesiemore was pulled after 5.1 innings as Randolph came in relief only for 0.2 of work before Mesiemore was re-inserted back in the bottom of the seventh. UNA loaded the bases with two out but the Bushnell native picked the right time to get her first strikeout of the night, securing the 1-0 triumph. Overall she moves to 6-4 on the season, scattering just one hit in game two.

Up Next
FGCU will look for the three-game sweep Sunday afternoon starting at 1 p.m. EDT.

ASUN Championship 
FGCU will play host to the 2019 ASUN Softball Championship Wednesday-Saturday, May 8-11. This will mark the second time FGCU will serve as hosts for the tournament, the first time coming back in 2016. The winner of the event will earn the ASUN's automatic bid into the NCAA Championship tournament. Game times and ticket information will be announced at a later date.

FOLLOW ALONG
For up-to-the-minute information on the FGCU softball program, follow on Twitter @FGCU_Softball and Instagram at fgcusoftball and stay tuned at FGCUAthletics.com.

COACH DEIROS
The founding father of FGCU softball, David Deiros is in his 17th season as head coach. Hired in 2001 to build the program from the dirt up, Deiros has since guided the Eagles to a Eagles to a 630-330-3 (.657), going 144-87 (.623) in the ASUN, having 13 seasons with a winning record, and nine campaigns with 35 wins. Deiros is a former head coach at the 1998 Florida State Runner-up Lely High School in Naples and is the founding head coach of the 1999 District Champion/2001 Regional Runner-up Gulf Coast High School in Naples.

#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.