TAMPA, Fla. – The FGCU softball team (21-14) bounced back after dropping game one, 6-0, to defeat USF (21-11) in the nightcap, 5-2, Saturday night at the USF Softball Complex.
"Nice comeback by us to get the split, "said head coach
David Deiros. "We have a chance to win the series tomorrow and we will be ready."
Game 1 | USF 6, FGCU 0
FGCU's only hit of the contest arrived in the top of the first, a single through the left-side from
Reedy Davenport (St. Johns, Fla./Bartram Trail HS), and the game would stay 0-0 until USF tacked on four runs (three unearned) in the bottom of the fourth. The Bulls then added two more unearned runs for the 6-0 lead.
All said FGCU left two runners on the bags as Georgina Corrick worked through the FGCU lineup in 92 pitches for the complete game. In the circle for the Eagles,
Marissa Mesiemore (Bushnell, Fla./South Sumters HS) moves to 11-5 after tossing six frames while scattering four hits on six runs (one earned).
Game 2 | FGCU 5, USF 2
USF got on the board first in the bottom second using an RBI single but FGCU responded two innings later with a four-run fourth.
Johneisha Rowe (Avon Park, Fla./Sebring HS) smacked a leadoff single and stole second before moving to third on a grounder from
McKenna Batterton (Norco, Calif/Eleanor Roosevelt HS). Up next,
Meagan Ricks (Winter Haven, Fla./Winter Haven HS) was brought home Rowe on a fielder's choice with one out.
Abbey Thomas (Fort Myers, Fla./Southwest Florida Christian) then walked to put runners on first and second as
Hope Hernandez (Tampa, Fla./Chamberlain HS/Troy) loaded the bases with a walk. A wild pitch scored Ricks and pinch-runner
Amaya Gainer (Tallahassee, Fla./Chiles HS) came home on an error.
Haley Morrell (Tampa, Fla./Academy of Holy Names) capped off the scoring with a sac fly to left.
FGCU pushed across one more run in the seventh after Davenport hit into a double play but Hernandez scored before the final out was recorded.
USF made it interesting in the final half scoring just one and leaving two on the bags but a pop fly to left ended the contest.
FGCU recorded three hits in the nightcap as
Sarah Lawton (Waterbury, Conn./Holy Cross HS/FSW) gets the win (7-4), tossing 4.2 innings, scattering four hits with one run. The senior fanned two batters and walked two.
Taylor Bauman (Jacksonville, Fla./Atlantic Coast HS) pitched the final 2.1 innings, yielding just one hit, one run, and two walks.
Up Next
FGCU will close out the series with a single game Sunday afternoon at 1 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 682-359-3 (.655), going 157-92 (.630) 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.
