FORT MYERS, Fla. – The FGCU softball team (28-21) fell in its opening game of the ASUN Tournament to UNF (27-22), 3-2, Wednesday afternoon at the FGCU Softball Complex.

"We have to be disappointed in the way the game turned out. I don't think we took advantage of our opportunities when we had them," said head coach David Deiros. "We kind of imploded in one inning that at worse could've of been one run instead of two and that was the difference. It just means that our road to the championship just got a little bit longer but until they take the bats out of our hands, we still have a chance."

Without a score through three frames, FGCU got on the board with a run in the bottom of the fourth. First Team All-Conference selection Kate Kelly (Cape Coral, FL./Seminole State College) began the bottom half with a single to third. After swiping her 19th bag of the season, Kelly scored as the throw from the third baseman sailed on Haley Morrell's (Tampa, FL./Academy of Holy Names) sac bunt.

UNF though, responded in its next top two innings scoring one in the fifth and used two runs on one hit and three FGCU errors in the top of the sixth to jump ahead 3-1.

Facing two outs in the bottom of the seventh, Taylor Bauman (Jacksonville, FL./Atlantic Coast HS) reached after getting hit on the elbow. Marcella Parrado (Tampa, FL./College of Central Florida) would enter and run for her. McKenna Batterton (Norco, CA./Eleanor Roosevelt HS) then dug in and laced a double to center field, scoring Parrado to make it a one run game. Batterton raced to third after the throw home skipped past the catcher.

Despite the rally, a grounder to right back to the pitcher in the next at-bat ended the contest for FGCU in the 3-2 final.

Starting pitcher and ASUN Second Team selection Riley Randolph (St. Petersburg, FL./Northeast HS) suffered the loss moving her record to 17-9. She pitch 6.0 innings and struck out three batters.

FGCU produced four hits on offense and stranded five on the bags.

Up Next
FGCU will face the winner of No. 4 UNA/No. 5 Kennesaw State Thursday afternoon at 1:30 pm.

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 640-335-3 (.657), going 147-90 (.620) 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 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.

--FGCUATHLETICS.COM--