FORT MYERS, Fla. – The FGCU softball team (1-3) split a pair of games with #21 UCF Sunday afternoon. The Eagles claimed the first game in dramatic fashion, 3-2, before falling in the second game, 8-5.
"We split today when you take a look at the results but when you look at the level of play, we were up to the challenge," said head coach
David Deiros. "I'm really enthusiastic about that going into this weekend and preparing for our FGCU Invitational.
Game 1 | FGCU 3, # 21 UCF 2
The 21st-ranked Knights took a 2-0 lead having scored a run in the first and third innings. Georgia Blair gave her squad a 2-0 lead after hitting one off the right-field foul pole.
Leading up to the sixth frame, FGCU had only registered two of its five hits.
Johneisha Rowe (Avon Park, Fla./Sebring HS) started the inning with a walk as
Hannah Shemansky (Lakeland, Fla./Santa Fe Catholic) singled down the left-field line. With none away, pitcher
Taylor Bauman (Jacksonville,Fla./Atlantic Coast HS) drilled a 2-1 pitch to right-center for the 3-2 advantage.
In the final top half, UCF was able to get a runner on but a fly out to center and a grounder to third base capped off the upset victory for the Eagles. Besides her performance at the plate, Bauman tossed a complete game, scattering six hits, giving up just one earned run en route to her first win of the young season.
Game 2 | #21 UCF 8, FGCU 5
Rowe produced a leadoff single and stole second base to get the offense going. Two batters later with two away,
Hope Hernandez (Tampa, Fla./Chamberlain HS/Troy) dropped a single just over the out-stretched glove of the second baseman, scoring Rowe from second.
UCF tied the ballgame in the top of the fourth but FGCU responded to snag the 2-1 lead. Hernandez drove a leadoff double to left-center. Facing one out,
Farley Callaghan (Ponte Vedra, Fla./Ponte Vedra HS) singled to left, putting runners on the corners. Up next,
Reedy Davenport (St. Johns, Fla./Bartram Trail HS) reached on a fielder's choice to bring Hernandez home.
The Knights tacked on three runs in the top of the fifth for the 4-2 lead as
Marissa Mesiemore (Bushnell,Fla./Bushnell HS) brought the game to a one-score affair, connecting on a solo shot to left – her first hit of the year. UCF's bats remained hot in the next half, registering four runs, thanks to a pair of home runs.
The ball continued to fly out of the park, this time in the bottom of the sixth, a two-run shot from
Jordyn Gendron (Tampa,Fla./Wharton HS). It was not enough as the Knights came out on top, 8-5. Hernandez and Rowe each finished with two hits as Mesiemore now moves to 0-2 in the circle.
Up Next
FGCU is back in action taking on Northern Illinois (0-0) in the FGCU Invitational next Friday, Feb. 19 at 5:15 p.m. The Eagles will then face FIU (3-0) after at 7:30 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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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 19th season as head coach. Hired in 2001 to build the program from the dirt up, Deiros has since guided the Eagles to a 662-348-3 (.653), going 147-90 (.620) in the ASUN, having 14 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 82 conference regular season and tournament titles in just 13 seasons at the Division I level. Additionally, in just nine seasons of D-I postseason eligibility, the Eagles have had a combined 38 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 (No. 24, 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 (APR) in their sport and have had the highest percentage of teams so honored from these two groups over each of the past three years. FGCU also collectively earned a record 3.46 GPA in the classroom in the spring 2020 semester and has outperformed the general University undergraduate population for 22 consecutive semesters. The 2019 Fall and 2020 Spring semesters each 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.
