MADEIRA BEACH, FL – The bats were alive and well Friday for the FGCU softball team (16-7) as the Eagles swept a pair of games scoring a season-high 12 runs in each one. The squad took down South Dakota State (8-7), 12-5, before defeating Central Michigan (2-10) in six innings, 12-4.

"The first game in the morning I really liked how we were able to respond after being down 4-0 when SDSU hit that grand slam," said head coach David Deiros. "Our bats came alive and it carried over into the next game against CMU. Kudos to our pitching staff for keeping us in the games and the rest of our kids for really coming through when we needed them to make plays."

FGCU 12, SDSU 5
Scoreless after two innings, the Jackrabbits took a 4-0 lead in the top of third with a grand slam off the bat of Mia Elliot. Unfazed, FGCU responded with eight runs in the bottom of the third – season-high for an inning this season. Eight eagles came home on six hits and one error. McKenna Batterton (Norco, CA/Eleanor Roosevelt HS) and Taylor Bauman (Jacksonville, FL/Atlantic Coast HS) each produced an RBI single while Haley Morrell (Tampa, FL/Academy of Holy Names) doubled to center for two more runs.

Hope Hernandez (Tampa, FL/Troy/Chamberlain HS) plated home Emily Estroff (Coconut Creek, FL/Villanova/Coral Springs Charter) on a fielder's choice first, Sammi Poehlman (Ormond Beach, FL/Daytona State/Seabreeze HS) connected on an RBI single to left as pinch-hitter Mikenzie Vaughn (Kennesaw, GA/FSW/Harrison HS) capped off the scoring bringing home the eighth run of the frame on a grounder to second.

Consecutive RBI singles from Davenport and Hernandez gave FGCU a 10-4 lead in the bottom of the fourth. In the sixth inning facing one out, Davenport launched her first home run of the season – a two-run shot to dead-center – to give FGCU a 12-5 margin. She ended her morning going 2-for-3 with three RBI. Hernandez and Morrell each plated two runners.

Starting pitcher Marissa Mesiemore (Bushnell, FL/South Sumter HS) moves to 7-4 after tossing 5.2 innings, striking out five Jackrabbits.

FGCU 12, CMU 4
FGCU jumped ahead 2-0 after two frames following an RBI single from Bauman in the first and a sac fly from Hernandez in the second. In the top of the fourth, CMU answered with three runs on three hits, including two errors from the Eagles' side.

The lead was short-lived as Hernandez came through with a bases-clearing two-run double, bringing home Morrell (double) and Davenport (fielder's choice). The very next bottom half, the Green and Blue's offense exploded with five  runs on five hits, which included two doubles, two triples and a single.

CMU scored in its top half but Johneisha Rowe (Avon Park, FL/Sebring HS) gave FGCU back the lead roping a double down the left-field line scoring pinch-runner  Hannah Shemansky (Lakeland, FL/Santa Fe Catholic). Batterton doubled scoring Rowe as Bauman tripled next bumping the margin to 7-4. The scoring was capped off by Davenport's shooting an RBI single to left before Hernandez tripled to right.

The run-rule came into effect in the bottom of the sixth. Rowe singled up the middle scoring pinch-runner Ahnie Jumper (Clewiston, FL/Plantation American Heritage). Batterton walked to set up Bauman for the two-run double to left-center.

Starting pitcher Sarah Lawton (Waterbury, CT/FSW/Holy Cross) walked away with the no-decision after four innings of work, striking out six hitters. Estroff entered in the bottom of the fifth throwing just one inning. She yielded one run, struck out one, but earned the win with FGCU regaining the lead in the bottom half. The victory is the first of her collegiate career.

Up Next
FGCU ends the Spring Games Tournament tomorrow evening first taking on Quinnipiac at 4:30 p.m. followed by Holy Cross at 7 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.

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!

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 658-344-3 (.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.