FORT MYERS, Fla. – The FGCU softball team dropped a pair of games to North Florida on Sunday as the Eagles opened up ASUN play. UNF took game one by a score of 4-2 before winning game two, 2-0, to improve to 21-5 on the season while the Eagles fall to 7-18.
"We played two tough close games today," said head coach
David Deiros. "UNF got the clutch hits when they needed them which turned out to be the difference. We'll look to bounce back and take the final game of the series tomorrow."
In game one, junior
Riley Oakes (Oviedo, Fla/Bishop Moore Catholic HS/Radford) threw 4.2 scoreless innings while striking out three. Unfortunately, the Eagles could not push any runs across as the game remained scoreless entering the sixth inning.
The Ospreys took the lead in the sixth with three runs before tacking on another run in the seventh.
FGCU attempted to rally in the seventh as they scored two runs on a triple by senior
Kacie Huber (Dade City, Fla./Pasco HS). The Eagles got the tying run on base, but could do no more as the Ospreys took game one.
The second game of the day was also a pitcher's duel as junior
Ally Hulme (Safety Harbor, Fla./Sickles HS/State College of Florida) matched zeroes with UNF's Erin Kyle.
The game remained scoreless into the seventh where the Ospreys took the lead with two runs which turned out to be enough as the Eagles went down in order in the bottom of the inning.
The two teams will wrap up the series tomorrow with a single game at 2 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.
COACH DEIROS
The founding father of FGCU softball,
David Deiros is in his 20th season as head coach during the 2022 campaign. Hired in 2001 to build the program from the dirt up, Deiros has since guided the Eagles to a 695-382-3 (.653), going 162-93 (.632) in the ASUN, having 15 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.
E.A.G.L.E. CAMPAIGN
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#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 89 conference regular season and tournament titles in just 14+ seasons at the Division I level. Additionally, in just 10 seasons of D-I postseason eligibility, the Eagles have had a combined 43 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. 20, 2021-22), beach volleyball (No. 20, 2022) 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 25 consecutive semesters. The past five semesters (Fall 2019 – Fall 2021) each saw another milestone reached as all 15 programs achieved a 3.0-or-higher team GPA in each. 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.
