FORT MYERS, Fla. --- The FGCU baseball team (24-16, 10-5) came back from a three-run deficit to force extra innings when Richie Garcia was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the ninth, but ultimately dropped a 7-3 decision in 10 innings to North Florida (16-18, 9-6) inside Swanson Stadium on Sunday.
 
"I thought we played well all weekend," FGCU head coach Dave Tollett said. "We didn't get the hits today that we had for the first two days, which is pretty typical when you have as many hits as we had the first two days. I thought we pitched the ball okay. We got a really good performance out of the bullpen from Woodward and had a chance to win it. Winning two of three in this league is pretty good. I'm happy overall, especially with the way our kids played and fought back. I think that says a lot about who this team is."
 
Despite the loss, the Eagles (10-5) remain in sole possession of first place in the ASUN's South Division standings ahead of Stetson and North Florida, who are both 9-6. FGCU will conclude regular season conference play at Jacksonville next weekend, while the Hatters and Ospreys are set to meet each other. The top two teams when the dust settles will each host a divisional round series in the ASUN tournament.
 
UNF's Cade Westbrook (3-for-6, 2 R, 4 RBI) gave his team an early lead with a two-run home run in the first inning. Then, in the fourth, the Ospreys loaded the bases with one out against FGCU starter Ronaldo Gallo (Miami, Fla./Southridge HS). Jason Woodward then entered out of the bullpen and escaped the jam by allowing just one run.
 
While Woodward (Titusville, Fla./Titusville HS) was holding North Florida scoreless over the next three innings, the Eagles were mounting a comeback. Johnny Long got the home squad on the board in the sixth with a solo home run to left, which was his first collegiate blast. Then, Stephen Wilmer's single up the middle scored Ian Farrow (Merritt Island, Fla./Merritt Island HS) in the seventh to pull the Eagles within one.
 
A scoreless eighth, which included Hunter McGarry stranding a pair of runners in the top half, set up a wild ninth inning.
 
In the top of the frame, FGCU's head coach Dave Tollett was ejected arguing a potential interference play on a steal of second, but McGarry (Bradenton, Fla./Bradenton Christian School/State College of Florida - Manatee) stranded runners at second and third to end the threat.

In the home half, Cameron Krzeminski was hit by a pitch with one out, which sparked a debate from the visiting bench on whether or not the pitch struck him. After a member of the dugout was ejected, the Eagles got a walk from Marc Coffers (Naples, Fla./Barron Collier HS) to put a pair on with one out.

Long (Naples, Fla./Barron Collier HS) then blooped a single to right center, but Krzeminski was thrown out at the plate trying to score from second. Brian Ellis (Oviedo, Fla./Hagerty HS) forced a walk in the next at bat to load the bases, setting up the hit by pitch from Garcia (Davie, Fla./West Broward HS), which forced in the tying run.
 
The joy subsided, however, as North Florida used a five-hit 10th inning to plate four runs. Wilmer (Sarasota, Fla./Riverview HS/Pasco-Hernando State/ECU) walked with two outs in the bottom half, but the Eagles couldn't put across anymore runs.
 
McGarry (1-2) took the loss. He went 2.1 innings and allowed three hits, one run and two walks while striking out two. Woodward's 3.2 innings of scoreless relief included six strikeouts.
 
The Eagles are set to face Jacksonville at 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday before concluding the series at 1 p.m. Following that, they'll travel to Tallahassee on May 11-12 for a two-game non-conference series against Florida State to conclude the regular season.

Wilmer (2-for-4, RBI, BB) and Long (2-for-4, HR) combined for over half of FGCU's seven hits. Joe Kinker (North Port, Fla./Venice HS) finished 1-for-5 with the lone double for the Eagles while Garcia went 1-for-4 with an RBI and a stolen base. Alejandro Figueredo (Sucre, Venezuela/West Oaks HS/Seminole State) had his team-best seven-game hitting streak snapped. With his start on Sunday, Garcia tied Gage Morey (2014-18) for the second-most in program history at 222.
 
Prior to the game, the Eagles honored their six-member senior class, which has been responsible for 142 victories and helped Coach Tollett capture his 500th and 600th career wins.
 
ASUN Standings

South Division

School	ASUN	Overall
FGCU	10-5	24-16
Stetson	9-6	23-17
North Florida	9-6	16-18
Jacksonville	2-13	9-28

North Division

School	ASUN	Overall
Liberty	14-1	30-11
Kennesaw State	12-3	26-13
Bellarmine	7-14	12-27
Lipscomb	6-12	15-24
North Alabama	6-15	7-34

Friday Results
Liberty 15, Bellarmine 3
Kennesaw State 5, No. 24 Georgia Tech 1
FGCU 10, North Florida 1
Stetson 5, Jacksonville 0
North Alabama 6, Lipscomb 3
 
Saturday Results
FGCU 11, North Florida 1
Liberty 8, Bellarmine 7
No. 24 Georgia Tech 13, Kennesaw State 5
Jacksonville 7, Stetson 5
North Alabama 5, Lipscomb 3
 
Sunday Results
Lipscomb 14, North Alabama 5
Liberty 9, Bellarmine 8
North Florida 7, FGCU 3
Jacksonville 5, Stetson 2
Kennesaw State 10, No. 24 Georgia Tech 5


 


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COACH TOLLETT
FGCU coach Dave Tollett currently owns a 632-380-3 overall record (.625) and a 208-115 (.646) record in the ASUN. He is the only head coach in the program's history and led the program to its first trip to the NCAA Tournament in 2017. He is a five-time ASUN Coach of the Year and has guided the Green and Blue to five ASUN Regular Season Championships and one ASUN Tournament Championship. His team has been ranked nationally on several occasions, including as high as No. 9 in the country in 2017, and has coached 54 all-conference selections, 33 draft picks, three current major leaguers, 13 current minor leaguers, four ASUN Pitchers of the Year, four All-Americans, three ASUN Players of the Year, one National Freshman Player of the Year, one National Player of the Year and one seven-time MLB All-Star.

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!
 
#FEEDFGCU
FGCU Athletics sponsors events in November and April to benefit the FGCU Campus Food Pantry (www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry) and the Harry Chapin Food Bank (www.harrychapinfoodbank.org), FGCU Athletics' charities of choice. For more information, including how to make a contribution, please visit www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry and utilize the hashtag #FeedFGCU to help raise awareness.
 
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 40 teams or individuals compete in NCAA championships. Eight FGCU programs have earned a top-25 national ranking in their respective sport - including women's basketball (No. 21, 2020-21), beach volleyball (No. 20, 2021) 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 3.50 GPA in the classroom in the fall 2020 semester and has outperformed the general University undergraduate population for 23 consecutive semesters. The 2019 Fall, 2020 Spring, and 2020 Fall 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.
 
--FGCUATHLETICS.COM—