FORT MYERS, Fla. – The FGCU baseball team (33-18, 15-6 ASUN) came out on top of a 7-4 clash against Liberty (36-17, 14-8 ASUN) Thursday night at Swanson Stadium.

"It was a great win against a team that was as good as we anticipated," head coach Dave Tollett said. "A come-from-behind win is always special. We got some big hits in some key situations and we got the ball to leave the park. When we turned the ball over to our bullpen, they were really good at ending the game."

Senior Keith Stevens, who is the reigning ASUN Player of the Week, broke open a tight ballgame in the bottom of the seventh with a two-run shot that brought in junior Alex Brait and put the Eagles on top 6-4. From there, FGCU held on to its lead for the win.

The battle for the 2019 regular season title proved to be just that as neither team earned more than a two-run lead through the first seven innings.

In the opening frame, Brait (Viera, FL/Viera HS) stepped into the batter's box and sailed his fourth home run of the season over the left field wall to give the home team an early 1-0 lead. The Flames responded with a two-run push in the following inning after a single up the middle that made it a 2-1 game.

Liberty struck again in the top of the fourth, sending its third run of the night across after a single to left field. Ahead 3-1, the Flames managed to load up the bases later that inning, but the Eagles' junior starter Mason Studstill worked out of the jam.

Junior Richie Garcia (Davie, FL/West Broward HS) tied the game up at three apiece after a long shot to left field that plated freshman Jalen Townsend (Oviedo, FL/Winter Park HS) in the bottom of the fourth. Liberty's Logan Mathieu answered in the following inning with a homer of his own that put Liberty back on top 4-3.

After five innings of work, Studstill (Titusville, FL/Rockledge HS/Eastern Florida State) was relieved by sophomore Tyler Shuck who started the top of the sixth. The starter left the game with a no-decision after allowing four earned runs on seven hits.

Over the next few innings, the Green and Blue led a three-run attack to regain the lead. After starting off the bottom of the sixth with a triple, senior Eric Gonzalez came in on a wild pitch and tied the game up at 4-4. Stevens (Miami, FL/Miami Killian HS/Hillsborough CC) capped off the spree with his two-run homer in the bottom of the seventh.

FGCU called junior Hunter McGarry out from the Green and Blue bullpen to start the eighth inning. Liberty put runners on the corners, but sophomore Christian Proffitt (Cape Coral, FL/Ida Baker HS), Gonzalez (Miami, FL/American HS/ASA College) and junior Kohl Gilmore (Fort Pierce, FL/John Carroll HS/Indian River) ended the inning with a double play.

The Eagles loaded up the bases in the bottom of the eighth and Brait capitalized on the opportunity with a sac fly that brought in junior pinch runner Marc Coffers (Naples, FL/Barron Collier HS), putting the home team up 7-4. After allowing the first two runners on, McGarry (Bradenton, FL/Bradenton Christian School/State College of Florida) closed out the game with three back-to-back Ks.

Shuck (Cape Coral, FL/Canterbury HS) was awarded the win for his two scoreless innings of relief work and improved to 7-1 on the season. McGarry picked up his ninth save of the year, which ties for the second-most of any Eagle arm in program history. He needs three more to tie Sterling Koerner who holds the record with 12 (2017). Tonight's three home runs are the most in a single game since March 22 against UNF. 

Up Next
The teams will return to Swanson Stadium at 6:30 p.m. on Friday for game two of the series. The finale is slated for 1 p.m. on Saturday. Prior to first pitch of game three, head coach Dave Tollett will honor all six members of the Class of 2019 – Justin Gill, Kohl Gilmore, Eric Gonzalez, Jay Hayes, Evan Lumbert and Keith Stevens. With one more win in the series, the Eagles will claim the 2019 ASUN Regular Season Championship.

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 598-355-3 overall record (.627) and a 198-107 (.649) 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 soccer, women's soccer, and women's basketball again in 2018-19. FGCU also collectively earned a record 3.35 GPA in the classroom in spring 2018 and have outpaced their institution's undergraduate student body GPA each of the past twenty semesters. In 2016-17, the Green and Blue posted a department-best sixth-place finish in the DI-AAA Learfield Directors' Cup and top-100 showing nationally, ahead of several Power-5 and FBS institutions. The Eagles also served an all-time high 7,200 volunteer hours - being recognized as one of two runners-up for the inaugural NACDA Community Service Award presented by the Fiesta Bowl in 2017.
 
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