FORT MYERS, FL – The FGCU softball team (8-3) was narrowly edged by the No. 24-ranked Arkansas Razorbacks (7-1) by a score of 4-1 Sunday afternoon at the FGCU Softball Complex.
"What an exciting atmosphere to play college softball in. It was two really great teams on both sides," said head coach
David Deiros. "I thought we really played well all weekend long. We withstood Arkansas best shot and then had some chances to go ahead and do some damage ourselves. I can't be any more pleased the way we played today and all weekend long. It's going to be a fun year if we keep on doing what we're doing."
It was a scoreless ball game after the first frame until the visitors struck in the top of the second with a run followed by three more runs in the next top half.
In the bottom of the fourth,
Maddy Johnson (Lake Wales, FL./FSW/Lake Region HS) and
Reedy Davenport (St. Johns, FL./Bartram Trail HS) got the offense going with back-to-back base hits. Pinch-hitter
Ahnie Jumper (Clewiston, FL./Plantation American Heritage HS) laid down a sac bunt to move them both over in scoring position. Facing one out,
Kacie Huber (Dade, City, FL./Pasco HS) hit a chopper to the shortstop, scoring Johnson from third for the lone run of the afternoon.
All said the Eagles produced seven hits as
Hope Hernandez (Tampa, FL./Troy/Chamberlain HS) and Davenport each registered two apiece. In the circle, starting pitcher
Sarah Lawton (Waterbury, CT./FSW/Holy Cross HS) was tagged with her first loss of the season (4-1) after tossing 2.2 innings of work.
Emily Estroff (Coconut Creek, FL./Villanova/Coral Springs Charter) came in relief for three frames while
Taylor Bauman (Jacksonville, FL./Atlantic Coast HS) pitched one inning.
Up Next
The Eagles return home next Friday to face Fordham at 7 p.m. as part of the FGCU Spring Break Invite taking place Feb. 21-23.
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.
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COACH DEIROS
The founding father of FGCU softball, David Deiros is in his 18th season as head coach. Hired in 2001 to build the program from the dirt up, Deiros has since guided the Eagles to a 650-340-3 (.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.
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.
