FORT MYERS, FL – The FGCU Softball team (19-8) split its mid-week doubleheader Tuesday night against FAU (8-14), first claiming game one, 7-3, before falling in the nightcap, 10-6.
"I think that we played two pretty good ball games tonight and I'm really proud of our kids," said head coach
David Deiros. "They put the pedal to the medal in the first game to put it out of reach. In the second game to be able to come back and have the tying run at the plate was more than I could ask for. They didn't give up and made sure to work together. We'll put this behind us very quickly and start planning for Kennesaw State this weekend."
FGCU 7, FAU 3
The Eagles flew out of the gates scoring a trio of runs in the bottom of the first.
Johneisha Rowe (Avon Park, FL/Sebring HS) led off with a triple setting up
McKenna Batterton (Norco, CA/Eleanor Roosevelt HS) for the RBI single up the middle. Two straight walks from
Haley Morrell (Tampa, FL/Academy of Holy Names) and
Hope Hernandez (Tampa, FL/Troy/Chamberlain HS) loaded up the bags for
Sammi Poehlman (Ormond Beach, FL/Daytona State/Seabreeze HS), who tapped a single to the pitcher scoring Batterton.
Ashley Hayes (Naples, FL/ Barron Collier HS) capped off the scoring producing a bases-loaded walk.
FGCU pushed across two runs in the bottom of the third.
Taylor Bauman (Jacksonville, FL/Atlantic Coast HS) started off the frame with a double to left-center.
Hannah Shemansky (Lakeland, FL/Santa Fe Catholic) would run for her and move to third on a sac bunt from Morrell. Up next, Hernandez found a hole through the left-side for the RBI. Two batters later, Hayes skied one to right field as Hernandez tagged to third and scored on a throwing error in attempt to get Poehlman out at second.
FAU answered with an unearned run in the top of the fourth before the Green and Blue plated home a pair in the sixth. A single and a walk from Rowe and Batterton allowed
Mikenzie Vaughn (Kennesaw, GA/FSW/Harrison HS) to lay down a sac bunt advancing both runners. Two batters later, Morrell walked to load the pads as Hernandez ripped a knock up the middle for the two runs.
The Owls scored two runs in the final top half but
Marissa Mesiemore (Bushnell, FL/South Sumter HS) escaped the threat forcing a line-drive out to Morrell to seal the win. The junior tossed her second complete game, moving to 9-4 this season. Hernandez finished game one going 3-for-3 with three RBI.
FAU 10, FGCU 6
Scoreless after two innings, back-to-back singles from Bauman and Morrell gave FGCU a 2-0 margin. Rowe singled and stole second as Batterton walked with no outs. Vaughn's sac bunt moved them to second and third, allowing both singles to the right-side to score each Eagle.
In the bottom of the fourth with one away, Rowe singled to the pitcher and raced to second with the throw from the pitcher sailing past the first baseman. This set up Batterton for the RBI sac fly to left.
FAU took the lead in the top of the fifth scoring five runs on four hits and tacked on five more the very next frame.
Mesiemore cut the deficit down to four with a three-run home run in the bottom of the seventh – the first of her Eagle career. The Eagles brought the tying run to the plate but a pop fly to left sent the Owls home with the victory.
The 10 runs is the most the Eagles have conceded all season. Starting pitcher
Sarah Lawton (Waterbury, CT/FSW/Holy Cross) moves to 8-4 overall in the circle.
Up Next
FGCU commences ASUN play hosting Kennesaw State for a three-game series Saturday-Sunday. The doubleheader Saturday is slated for a 2 p.m. first pitch followed by noon time finale Sunday.
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 661-345-3 (.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 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.
