NEW ORLEANS – A late burst from Tulane (2-0) sealed the team's second win over FGCU baseball (0-2), as the Eagles fell by a score of 8-4 on Saturday at Turchin Stadium. With their win, the Green Wave clinched the overall series.   

Junior Brian Ellis (Oviedo, Fla.), who has been off to a great start for the team through the opening two contests, led the Eagles at the plate, finishing the night with a pair of hits, a run and an RBI. Junior Brandon Dorsey (Fort Myers, Fla) accounted for the team's only other RBI, as he batted himself in on the first homer of the season.

 "We're just not getting timely hits," head coach Dave Tollett said. "We're doing a good job of getting people on base and we did a better job of putting the ball in play and our two-strike approach was better, so there was lots improvement today. But we didn't pitch the ball very well. We have to be better. We can't put a complete game together right now and that's what's hurting us."

For the second-consecutive game, Ellis got things started in the opening frame with a lead-off single. After working his way around the bases, he eventually scored on a wild pitch to hand FGCU an early 1-0 advantage. Dorsey's homer in the top of the second extended the lead, but Tulane responded with a solo shot of its own to cut the score down to 2-1.  

An RBI single from the Green Wave tied things up in the third, but another Tulane miscue later allowed FGCU to regain the lead when junior PJ Cimo (Boca Raton, Fla.) crossed the plate in the fourth. The home team responded to the push with a two-RBI homer in the bottom of the inning that made it a 4-3 game.

After tossing 4.1 innings in his first start as an Eagle, junior Hunter McGarry (Bradenton, Fla.) handed the mound over to senior Sebastian Gruszecki (Dudley, Mass.). McGarry (0-1) was eventually tagged with the loss, as the Green Wave never trailed once it earned its 4-3 advantage.

In addition to Gruszecki, who allowed one run during his outing, three different arms came out of the bullpen for FGCU.

Both sophomores Brandt Sundean (Lakeland, Fla.) and Levi Shuck (Cape Coral, Fla.) made their first career appearances, combining for 1.2 innings of scoreless relief. Junior Nikolas Bitner (Palm Coast, Fla.) tossed the final frame for the visiting team, but Tulane was able to tack on an additional three runs, providing its final margin of victory.

Despite the deficit, the Eagles battled offensively until the final out. Cimo scored his second run of the night in the top of the eighth thanks to an RBI single by Ellis and the team was able to load up the bases in the top of the ninth, but the rally was not enough to overcome Tulane's four-run lead.

Sophomore Hunter Fornari (Daytona Beach, Fla.) and freshman Kyle Machado (Punta Gorda, Fla.) earned their first starts in the Green and Blue and each tallied the first hits of their collegiate careers. Fornari's was a single to the third-baseman, while Machado cranked out a stand-up double.

FGCU will have one final chance at a victory over Tulane during tomorrow's series finale, which is slated for a 2 p.m. (EST) start at Turchin Stadium.

For complete coverage of FGCU baseball, follow the Eagles on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook at @FGCU_Baseball and online at www.FGCUAthletics.com. You can also sign up to have news on FGCU baseball or other programs delivered directly to your inbox by visiting www.fgcuathletics.com/email.

COACH TOLLETT
FGCU coach Dave Tollett currently owns a 599-360-3 overall record (.624) and a 199-109 (.646) 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 five-time ASUN Coach of the Year and has guided the Green and Blue to five 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, 33 draft picks, three current major leaguers, 13 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.

E.A.G.L.E. CAMPAIGN
IT TAKES A TEAM to achieve our newest goal - a $10 million campaign to address student-athlete needs in continued academic success, life skills, mental health, nutrition, and strength and conditioning as well as departmental needs in facility expansion and improvement as well as mentoring and leadership training for coaches and staff. The name embodies our mission and the purpose of the E.A.G.L.E. Campaign - Eagle Athletics Generating Lifetime Excellence. Join Our Team and pledge your gift today to help the Eagles of tomorrow!
 
WE'VE GOT YOUR SEAT!
Single game tickets, group packages, and Spring Frequent Flyer Passes are on sale now. Single game tickets are good for all games occurring on a single day and are $7 for adults, $5 for youth (ages 3-15), and $5 for current or former US military service members.
 
Groups of 15 or more can enjoy a day at the ballpark with reserved block seating, group activities, and the choice of free FGCU gear or concessions. Packages start at just $7 per person. Call the ticket office at 239-590-7145 for more information or to book your group.
 
The Spring Frequent Flyer Pass allows multiple entries into Softball and Baseball during the 2020 regular season. Passes are available for 15, 30, and 60 entries for any regular season home game. They can be used in any combination until the pass is exhausted. Passes cost $60 for 15 entries, $105 for 30 entries, and $180 for 60 enties.
 
Single game tickets and Frequent Flyer Passes can be purchased in advance online at FGCUTickets.com or over the phone at 239-590-7145.

#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 80 conference regular season and tournament titles in just 12-plus seasons at the Division I level. Additionally, in just eight-plus 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 women's basketball (2019-20) and both men's soccer (2018, 2019) and women's soccer (2018) as three of the most recent. 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. In 2018-19, the Eagles had an ASUN and state of Florida best seven teams earn the NCAA's Public Recognition Award for their Academic Progress Rate in their sport. FGCU also collectively earned a record 3.35 GPA in the classroom in the spring 2018 semester and has outperformed the general University undergraduate population for twenty-one consecutive semesters. The 2019 Fall semester saw another milestone reached as all 15 programs achieved a 3.0-or-higher team GPA. The Eagles also served an all-time high 7,200 volunteer hours in 2017 – being recognized as one of two runners-up for the inaugural NACDA Community Service Award presented by the Fiesta Bowl.
 
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