FORT MYERS, Fla. – The FGCU softball team (15-10, 6-0) took down North Florida (10-13, 2-4 ASUN) by scores of 3-1 and 8-3 to complete the three-game sweep Sunday afternoon.

The Eagles win streak now sits at eight in a row and their 6-0 start in ASUN play matches their second-best start since 2008, in which they opened league play going 10-0.

"It was a masterful three-game series by our team, they were really good in all three facets," said head coach David Deiros. "To hold down a powerful team like North Florida to six runs in three games is impressive by our pitching staff and defense. I thought we did a really great job with timely hitting throughout the series but especially in this last game. Whenever they scored, we responded. So I'm really proud of the way we prepared all week and the way we executed our plan."

Game 1 | FGCU 3, UNF 1
FGCU opened up the scoring in the bottom of the first, using singles from Johneisha Rowe (Avon Park, Fla./Sebring HS) and McKenna Batterton (Norco, Calif./Eleanor Roosevelt HS). With runners on the corners – Batterton advanced to second on the throw – Reedy Davenport (St. Johns, Fla./Bartram Trail HS) skied one to the second baseman as Rowe tagged home.

From there, both teams did not produce a run until FGCU pushed across two in the bottom of the fifth. UNF though did put the tying run on twice. In the bottom of the fifth, Emily Estroff (Coconut Creek, Fla./Coral Springs Charter/Villanova) singled and moved to third on a sac bunt from Jordyn Gendron (Tampa, Fla./Wharton HS). Maddy Johnson (Lake Wales, Fla./Lake Region HS/FSW) reached on an error to put runners on the corners as Batterton was hit to load the bags. Moments later, Davenport ripped one through the right-side to score Estroff and Johnson.

UNF tacked a run on in the top of the sixth but Taylor Bauman (Jacksonville, Fla./Atlantic Coast HS) entered the circle the following frame, sitting the Ospreys down in order for her first save of the season. Starting pitcher Sarah Lawton (Waterbury, Conn./Holy Cross HS/FSW) moves to 4-1 after tossing six innings, scattering four hits while yielding one run with no walks and one strikeout.

Six different Eagles manufactured a hit with Davenport going 1-for-2 with three RBI.

Game 2 | FGCU 8, UNF 3
Once again, FGCU quickly jumped on the board scoring two in the first. Rowe slapped an infield single to second and moved to second on a grounder by Batterton. Up next, Davenport laced a double to left to plate home Rowe. Back-to-back singles from Bauman and Meagan Ricks (Winter Haven, Fla./Winter Haven HS) loaded the bases. It was Ricks' first career collegiate hit. Haley Morrell (Tampa, Fla./Academy of Holy Names) then popped one up to deep left field, scoring Davenport.

After UNF added a run in their top half of the second, FGCU answered back with five runs in its half. Estroff led off with a single and sprinted to second on a sac bunt from Ahnie Jumper (Clewiston, Fla./Plantation American Heritage). Rowe soon slapped her second infield single of the game to put runners on the corners. After Rowe swiped second, Batterton hit one up the middle for the RBI and stole second soon after. She moved to third as Rowe trotted home on a single from Davenport. 

Bauman flew out to right field but that allowed Batterton to score. Up next, Ricks laced a base hit through the right-side, sprinted to third on the throw as Davenport leaped over the catcher's tag attempt at home plate for the sixth run of the game. Hannah Shemansky (Lakeland, Fla./Santa Fe Catholic) capped off the scoring with the sixth hit of the frame, plating home Ricks.

The Ospreys scored runs in back-to-back innings before FGCU tacked on its final run in the seventh, an RBI grounder from Rowe.

Marissa Mesiemore (Bushnell, Fla./South Sumter HS) moves to 8-4 on the year after throwing five innings, yielding three runs (two earned) while conceding six hits, one walk with one strikeout. Bauman was perfect in her two frames of work, allowing no hits, walks, or runs.  

FGCU's 15 hits were the second-most in a game this year (18 vs FAMU). In her first college start, Ricks finished her day going 3-for-3 with an RBI. Davenport capped off her day going 2-for-2 with two RBI as seven Eagles manufactured a run in game two.

Up Next
FGCU hits the road next weekend facing Jacksonville Mar. 27-28. The Green and Blue will play a doubleheader Saturday starting at 1 p.m. followed by the finale on Sunday at 1 p.m.

ASUN Standings 
 
South Division

Place	Team	ASUN	Overall
1.	FGCU	6-0	15-10
2.	Jacksonville	3-2	15-7
3.	North Florida	2-4	10-13
4.	Stetson	0-5	4-11

North Division

Place	Team	ASUN	Overall
1.	Liberty	3-0	21-9
2.	North Alabama	5-1	16-5
3.	Kennesaw State	2-1	9-14
4.	Lipscomb	2-4	11-12
5.	Bellarmine	0-6	4-16

Recent Results (Sunday, Mar. 21)
#7 Florida State def. Kennesaw State, 3-2
Lipscomb def. North Alabama, 5-2
#22 Auburn def. Kennesaw State, 4-3

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 19th season as head coach. Hired in 2001 to build the program from the dirt up, Deiros has since guided the Eagles to a 676-355-3 (.655), going 153-90 (.629) 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 85 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 39 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.