FORT MYERS, FL – The FGCU softball team (10-4) captured a 4-1 win over UMass Lowell (3-6) in the first game but fell to Michigan State (3-9) in the nightcap, 5-0.
"I didn't do a very good job coaching us tonight and didn't have us prepared as well as we should have," said head coach
David Deiros. "We fell behind in both games and were able to scratch and claw in the first game to get through. In the second game you have to give Michigan State credit, they withstood some of our best shots to try to get back in the game and win. We'll come back better tomorrow, including me."
FGCU 4 | UML 1
After UML took the 1-0 advantage in the first inning, FGCU responded in the bottom half of the second with one run.
Maddy Johnson (Lake Wales, FL/FSW/Lake Region HS) singled and stole second with one out and moved to third on a wild pitch following a walk to
Ashley Hayes (Naples, FL/ Barron Collier HS). Facing two outs,
Johneisha Rowe (Avon Park, FL/Sebring HS) legged out an infield single to the shortstop for the RBI.
FGCU posted a two run inning in the fifth, thanks to a pair of hits and two errors. Rowe started the inning with the first miscue and reached second.
Sammi Poehlman (Ormond Beach, FL/Daytona State/Seabreeze HS) tapped a single in front of the catcher and hustled to second on the throwing error, scoring Rowe. Three batters later,
Reedy Davenport (St. Johns, FL/Bartram Trail HS) plated home Poehlman knocking one to right center.
The Eagles added one run in the bottom of the sixth placing runners on the corners with one out. Poehlman collected her first RBI of the season with a sac fly to left scoring
McKenna Batterton (Norco, CA/Eleanor Roosevelt HS), who reached originally with a single and advanced to third on sac bunt from
Kacie Huber (Dade City, FL/Pasco HS).
In the circle,
Taylor Bauman (Jacksonville, FL/Atlantic Coast HS) tossed the final frame en route to her first save of the year. Starting pitcher
Sarah Lawton (Waterbury, CT/FSW/Holy Cross) moved to 5-1 as she struck out five batters, scattering five hits.
MSU 5 | FGCU 0
The Spartans jumped on the board first in the second frame posting four runs on two hits and made it 5-0 in the third with a solo home run from Camryn Wincher. FGCU was held hitless until the bottom of the fifth where a leadoff single by
Diane Servideo (Naples, FL/Coker College/Gulf Coast HS) broke the no-hit bid.
Starting pitcher
Marissa Mesiemore (Bushnell, FL/South Sumter HS) pitched 1.2 innings as she gets tagged with the loss moving to 5-3 overall. FGCU ended the night with four hits which included a double from Davenport.
Up Next
FGCU faces Harvard (1-3) Sunday afternoon at 1:30 p.m.
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 652-341-3 (.656), 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 81 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.
